Reincarnation is the philosophical or religious belief that the soul takes on another host after death, and so, in a sense, an individual is born again. This concept believes that though the physical body may perish, the soul lives on.
In scientific terms, – The law of conservation of energy states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed;- only converted from one form of energy to another. Though much of the idea of reincarnation seems to be rooted in religion and mythology, a few real-life occurrences of the phenomenon have been noted.
One such miraculous example is that of Shanti Devi, born in Delhi in the 1930s. As a young girl, she claimed to remember her past life. At age 4, she made shocking revelations that her husband lived in Mathura.
During her time in school, she recalled how she died 10 days after giving birth to her son and disclosed the name of her husband’s name, “Kedar Nath,” while speaking in the Mathura Dialect. The headmaster of her school then located a merchant by that name in Mathura who had lost his wife, Lugdi Devi, nine years earlier, ten days after having given birth to a son, confirming her seemingly impossible statements.
Mahatma Gandhi at the time sanctioned an investigation into this mysterious case, which went on to confirm that Shanti Devi was in fact the reincarnation of Lugdi Devi.
This fascinating concept resonates deeply with the Indian audience especially as reincarnation is rooted in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism which are commonly practised religions in India. Many movies have used this captivating concept as the basis for their plotlines and have gone on to become big hits at the box office. There seems to be something about love that transcends lives, mysterious rebirths and the ties between different times that just clicks with the audiences.
Let’s take a look at some examples of reincarnation in films:
1. Magadheera
An all-time Industry Hit starring Ram Charan and Kajal directed by S.S Rajamouli, that went on to break several records. This is a film that shows the reincarnation of two lovers and is set in two contrasting time periods, one of kings and battles and the other in modern India. It is a tale of unfulfilled love that is born again to bring the two lovers together. Marrying strong emotions such as love and enmity with the mystery of reincarnation, this film bagged immaculate box office collections.
2. Om Shanti Om
Another film that ties Love and reincarnation together, along with revenge and the ghost of a former lover, This Srk-Deepika starrer went on to become a massive hit and is still celebrated today as many girls still dream of the day their dupatta will get caught on a man’s bracelet. The film follows murder, reincarnation, and the extraction of revenge for love. There is Om (SRK) and Shanti( Deepika Padukone), followed by the reincarnation of Om, making the story of Om Shanti Om.
3. Mooga Manasulu
An iconic film starring Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Savitri, and Jamuna tells the tale of a married couple finding their old gravestones as they run into a friend from their former lives. The flashback then follows suit and tells the tale of a triangle love story and a lustrous villain. Mooga Manasulu received the Certificate of Merit at the 11th National Film Awards and the Filmfare Award for Best Film in Telugu at the 12th Filmfare Awards South. It was screened at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
4. Manam
This hilarious and heartwarming feel-good film with its perfect casting, not only shows the reincarnation of one individual but five! With the three generations of Akkineni’s all mixed up as each other’s fathers, this fun story touches on family, love, both romantic and the love we have for parents as kids, and second chances.
5. Anegan
A very interesting take on reincarnation, this film follows a woman who can recall several past lives through her dreams. The film follows her discovering the stories of the people she dreams about as her own with the hero. The film ends on a chilling note, and though it does involve a couple and love, it is a complete thriller, which is a different thought from the above-mentioned love-reincarnation movies.
5. Shaym Singh Roy
This film is slightly different from the rest as one man is reincarnated and meets his former wife who has lived out her life, to fulfil the promise of her dying in his arms. The film follows the story of a present-day Nani as ‘Vasu’ an aspiring filmmaker caught in a copyright case for using the works of Shyam Singhs Roy a revolutionary writer. As he undergoes hypnosis to prove his innocence it is revealed that he was in fact the writer in his previous life. The rest shows the love story between the Bengali writer and a ‘DevaDasi’ or religious dancer who is freed by the writer. It touches on the concept of how women were mistreated by ‘Godmen’ and that “the pen is mightier than the sword.”
All of these blockbuster films are evidence of how fond the Indian audience is of reincarnation and its relatively unexplored mysteries from the 1900s to now in 2023! What are some movies we missed on the list and which ones are your favourite?
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