Rajkamal Studio revives ‘Shantaram Ganpati procession’

The celebration is special as it precedes Shantaram’s 125th birth anniversary on November 18. The studio is also celebrating its 67-year-old Ganpati tradition, which has been closely linked to the Shantaram family and the people who worked at Rajkamal Studio

MUMBAI: Heavy brute lights, once used by celebrated filmmaker V Shantaram while recording the colour film Navrang in 1959, will be one of the highlights of the festive Ganpati display at Rajkamal Studio in Parel. They are among old memories being showcased this year, such as old photographs, behind-the-scenes images and other memorabilia.

Kiran Shantaram, son of filmmaker V Shantaram, stands beside the Ganapati idol at Rajkamal Studio (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

The celebration is special as it precedes Shantaram’s 125th birth anniversary on November 18. The studio is also celebrating its 67-year-old Ganpati tradition, which has been closely linked to the Shantaram family and the people who worked at Rajkamal Studio.

“Navrang was my first film as an assistant director. I remember a huge Ganpati idol, around 15 feet tall, was kept inside the studio. We needed special permission that year for its immersion,” says Kiran Shantaram, 83, son of the legendary filmmaker

The Ganpati idol was used in the film and it kicked off a tradition of taking the idol in a procession with actors, technicians and other staff members. “The procession would proceed from Rajkamal Studio towards Girgaum. Our staff members would sit on top of the bus. Near chowpatty, we would get down and complete the immersion. It became known as the ‘Shantaram Ganpati procession’,” recalls Shantaram.

Shantaram recalled an unusual incident during the making of Sehra (1963). The India-Pakistan war was underway and a blackout had been announced. So the Ganpati procession had to be completed early. But it was low tide and only half the idol was actually immersed.

“We sat at a cafe to watch the immersion but noticed some children playing near the sea and breaking the remaining part of the idol. From then, we started keeping a small Ganpati idol inside the studio and immersing it within the premises,” he said.

Actor, filmmaker and director of Rajkamal Studio Shantipriya Ray said this year’s celebrations at the studio will be immersed in nostalgia. “On the occasion of V Shantaram’s 125th birth anniversary, we wanted to celebrate Ganpati in the way it was done during his time,” said Ray, daughter-in-law of the legendary filmmaker’s daughter. That’s why, this year, a six-foot-tall idol has been installed at the studio.

Meanwhile, Kiran Shantaram said his son Rahul is working on a biopic on V Shantaram and that Abhijeet Deshpande will direct the biopic, while Rajkamal Studio will produce it.