Bhakta Vidur (1921)
Directed by Kanjibhai Rathod
Countries - India |
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Synopsis by Jonathan Crow
Kanjibhai Rathod directs this mythological allegory which alluded directly to political issues of the day. In the wake of the Rowlatt Act in 1919 -- which put restrictions on Indian imports -- protests and agitation broke out, thrusting Mahatma Gandhi into the national spotlight. This film adapted a section from the Mahabharata that concerns the fall of an empire at the hands of two warring clans -- the Pandavas and the Kauravas. More overtly, the film's main character, Vidur (Dwarkadas Sampat), is a dead ringer for Gandhi, complete with his trademark hat and khaddar shirt. This film became something of a cause célèbre in India, as it generated a huge censorship controversy and was ultimately banned in Karachi and Madras.