Rudraksh
Encyclopedia
Rudraksh directed by Mani Shankar
is a Bollywood
science-fiction film starring Sanjay Dutt
, Bipasha Basu
, Suniel Shetty
and Isha Koppikar. The film is strongly based on the Ramayana
("The Path of Rāma"), one of the most famous and influential epic poems
of India.
Tagline: The power to possess
Dr.Gayatri (Bipasha Basu
) is researching the esoteric practices like voodoo, spirit possession, magic and healing powers. She seeks to find the hidden knowledge that goes into such practices, the knowledge that cannot be explained by science or logic.
Her search for answers brings her with her team of fellow scientists from America to India. In India she comes across an uncommon man named Varun (Sanjay Dutt
) who is gifted with special intuitive and healing powers.
Gayatri is immediately flummoxed by Varun’s powers to take away pain and disease from people and cure them. He becomes the subject of her study.
After a few experiments by Gayatri, Varun has an intuitive insight about the existence of a dark power that is hidden and evil. Many questions crop in his mind – like what is this dark force and what is its source. He knows that the force is linked to Ravana's Rudraksh, which is hidden away somewhere, unknown to the world.
This is not a normal Rudraksh
. It carries in its seed the powers that can transmute humans into new species. The bearer of this Rudraksh will have supernatural powers beyond imagination. In the language of science, it was a multi-dimensional hologram in the form of a seed.
Varun sets out on a search to discover this Rudraksh and also find certain answers for his own self. His search his into a perilous journey from the most rugged terrains of Himalayas to the mysterious ruins of the legendary King Ravan's palaces in Sri Lanka.
criticised the screenplay of the movie while praising the stunt sequences and special effects.
. In the original story Rāma's beautiful and virtuous wife Sita is kidnapped by Ravana, lord of the rakshasas (demons), and Rāma's divine task is to kill Ravana and rescue Sita. Rāma is aided by his friend Sugreev, king of the Vanara (monkey-headed people).
The premise of the film Rudraksh is that the Ramayana is an historical account, and Ravana has found a way to threaten all mankind once again. Ravana re-asserts his will via a recently-unearthed magic talisman called the Rudraksh (the nut from a Rudraksh tree, which is sometimes used as a storehouse for magical power as per Hindu beliefs). The Rudraksh contains Ravana's soul, and has the power to convert normal human beings into superhumanly powerful rakshasas. Ravana's ultimate plan is to convert (or possess) every human on the planet, and only Varun has enough power to stand in his way.
Mani Shankar
Mani Shankar is a Bollywood director, best known for his direction of Hindi films such as 16 December, Rudraksh, and, Tango Charlie Mukhbir and Knockout....
is a Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
science-fiction film starring Sanjay Dutt
Sanjay Dutt
Sanjay Dutt is an Indian Hindi film actor and politician. Dutt, son of Hindi film actors Sunil and Nargis Dutt, made his acting debut in 1981.-Personal life:...
, Bipasha Basu
Bipasha Basu
Bipasha Basu is an Indian actress who mainly appears in Bollywood films. A former model, she was the winner of the Ford's Godrej Cinthol Supermodel contest in 1996.-Early life:...
, Suniel Shetty
Suniel Shetty
Sunil Shetty is an Indian film actor, producer, hotelier and liquor and fashion boutique owner. He is mainly active in Bollywood.-Career:Shetty made his acting debut in the 1992.His film Balwaan which was a moderate success. He gave 2 hit films in 1993 Pehchaan and Waqt Hamara Hai. His first...
and Isha Koppikar. The film is strongly based on the Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
("The Path of Rāma"), one of the most famous and influential epic poems
Epic poetry
An epic is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. Oral poetry may qualify as an epic, and Albert Lord and Milman Parry have argued that classical epics were fundamentally an oral poetic form...
of India.
Tagline: The power to possess
Plot
Good and Evil are two sides of a same coin. If good grows in strength so does evil. And there comes a point when either must overcome the other.Dr.Gayatri (Bipasha Basu
Bipasha Basu
Bipasha Basu is an Indian actress who mainly appears in Bollywood films. A former model, she was the winner of the Ford's Godrej Cinthol Supermodel contest in 1996.-Early life:...
) is researching the esoteric practices like voodoo, spirit possession, magic and healing powers. She seeks to find the hidden knowledge that goes into such practices, the knowledge that cannot be explained by science or logic.
Her search for answers brings her with her team of fellow scientists from America to India. In India she comes across an uncommon man named Varun (Sanjay Dutt
Sanjay Dutt
Sanjay Dutt is an Indian Hindi film actor and politician. Dutt, son of Hindi film actors Sunil and Nargis Dutt, made his acting debut in 1981.-Personal life:...
) who is gifted with special intuitive and healing powers.
Gayatri is immediately flummoxed by Varun’s powers to take away pain and disease from people and cure them. He becomes the subject of her study.
After a few experiments by Gayatri, Varun has an intuitive insight about the existence of a dark power that is hidden and evil. Many questions crop in his mind – like what is this dark force and what is its source. He knows that the force is linked to Ravana's Rudraksh, which is hidden away somewhere, unknown to the world.
This is not a normal Rudraksh
Rudraksh
Rudraksh directed by Mani Shankar is a Bollywood science-fiction film starring Sanjay Dutt, Bipasha Basu, Suniel Shetty and Isha Koppikar. The film is strongly based on the Ramayana , one of the most famous and influential epic poems of India.Tagline: The power to possess-Plot:Good and Evil are...
. It carries in its seed the powers that can transmute humans into new species. The bearer of this Rudraksh will have supernatural powers beyond imagination. In the language of science, it was a multi-dimensional hologram in the form of a seed.
Varun sets out on a search to discover this Rudraksh and also find certain answers for his own self. His search his into a perilous journey from the most rugged terrains of Himalayas to the mysterious ruins of the legendary King Ravan's palaces in Sri Lanka.
Reception
Rudraksh received poor reviews and was a commercial failure with collections of Rs 17.8 million in three weeks after its release. Film critic Taran AdarshTaran Adarsh
Taran Adarsh is an Indian film critic, journalist, editor and film trade analyst. He is also a former producer and screenwriter. He is the son of film director and producer, B.K. Adarsh....
criticised the screenplay of the movie while praising the stunt sequences and special effects.
Ramayana Connections
The Ramayana tells the story of the great hero Rāma, an incarnation of the god VishnuVishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
. In the original story Rāma's beautiful and virtuous wife Sita is kidnapped by Ravana, lord of the rakshasas (demons), and Rāma's divine task is to kill Ravana and rescue Sita. Rāma is aided by his friend Sugreev, king of the Vanara (monkey-headed people).
The premise of the film Rudraksh is that the Ramayana is an historical account, and Ravana has found a way to threaten all mankind once again. Ravana re-asserts his will via a recently-unearthed magic talisman called the Rudraksh (the nut from a Rudraksh tree, which is sometimes used as a storehouse for magical power as per Hindu beliefs). The Rudraksh contains Ravana's soul, and has the power to convert normal human beings into superhumanly powerful rakshasas. Ravana's ultimate plan is to convert (or possess) every human on the planet, and only Varun has enough power to stand in his way.
- Varun, the film's hero, represents Rāma.
- Varun's father Ved Pujan/Pandit Ved Bhushan might be related to Rāma's father, Maharajah Dasaratha, though his role in the film does not obviously match the original story.
- Bhuria represents the evil Ravana, or at least his representative on Earth. The alien demon creatures are explicitly called Rakshasas in the film. The film's tagline, "The Power to Possess," probably refers to Ravana's desire to possess both Sita and absolute military power. Note that when Bhuria and Lali become Rakshasas, their eyes become blue.
- Bhuria's girlfriend Lali may be related to Ravana's wife, Mandodari the Apsara (feminine spirit of clouds and water), though her role in the film does not obviously match the original story.
- Dr. Gayatri, Varun's love interest, represents Rāma's wife Sita. Her all-female scientific research team represent Sita's handmaidens. Bhuria attempts to kidnap Gayatri as Ravana originally kidnapped Sita, but in this version his kidnap attempt is thwarted by Varun.
Soundtrack
| # | Song | Singer(s) | Duration | Composers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ishq Khudai | Krishna, Mahalakshmi Iyer Mahalakshmi Iyer Mahalakshmi Iyer is an Indian playback singer, best known for her Hindi and Tamil songs. She has sung over a thousand songs in many Indian languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Assamese, Kannada and Malayalam.-Career:Mahalakshmi made her singing debut with Dus,... , Shankar Mahadevan Shankar Mahadevan Shankar Mahadevan is an Indian music composer and singer. He is a part of the Shankar Ehsaan Loy trio team that composes for Indian films and a playback singer.-Early life:... , Shweta Pandit Shweta Pandit Shweta Pandit is an Indian Playback Singer, Song Writer and Live Performer Actor in Bollywood. She has also recorded songs for Telugu and Tamil film songs.... |
5:21 | Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy are an Indian musical trio consisting of Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa. Record producers, musicians and multi-instrumentalists, they have composed music for over fifty soundtrack across four languages... |
| 2 | Ishq Hai Nasha Nasha | Shaan Shaan (singer) Shaan , is an Indian playback singer, and television host. He hosted the shows Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L'il Champs, Star Voice of India and "Star Voice of India 2"... , Sunidhi Chauhan Sunidhi Chauhan Sunidhi Chauhan is an Indian playback singer, best known for her Hindi film songs in Bollywood. She has also recorded songs for Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, Assamese and Gujarati films and is credited with over 2000 songs.... |
4:13 | Vishal-Shekhar Vishal-Shekhar Vishal-Shekhar are a music directing duo for Hindi films and are among the leading music directors in the industry today... |
| 3 | Dil Ki Aahein | K.S. Chitra | 5:03 | Shashi Pritam |
| 4 | Kya Dard Hai | Instrumental | 5:46 | Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy are an Indian musical trio consisting of Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa. Record producers, musicians and multi-instrumentalists, they have composed music for over fifty soundtrack across four languages... |
| 5 | Rudraksh | Kunal Ganjawala Kunal Ganjawala Kunal Ganjawala is popularly known as Bollywood playback singer. But he also did a very well contribution to Kanada film industry as well. Kunal began his career by singing jingles. He came to limelight with the song 'Bheege Honth Tere' form film Murder in 2004. It was his first biggest hit... |
4:01 | Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy are an Indian musical trio consisting of Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa. Record producers, musicians and multi-instrumentalists, they have composed music for over fifty soundtrack across four languages... |
| 6 | Rak-rak-rak | Shankar Mahadevan Shankar Mahadevan Shankar Mahadevan is an Indian music composer and singer. He is a part of the Shankar Ehsaan Loy trio team that composes for Indian films and a playback singer.-Early life:... , Gayatri Ganjawala, Kunal Ganjawala Kunal Ganjawala Kunal Ganjawala is popularly known as Bollywood playback singer. But he also did a very well contribution to Kanada film industry as well. Kunal began his career by singing jingles. He came to limelight with the song 'Bheege Honth Tere' form film Murder in 2004. It was his first biggest hit... |
6:17 | Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy are an Indian musical trio consisting of Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa. Record producers, musicians and multi-instrumentalists, they have composed music for over fifty soundtrack across four languages... |
| 7 | Ishq Khudai- Remix | Krishna, Mahalakshmi Iyer Mahalakshmi Iyer Mahalakshmi Iyer is an Indian playback singer, best known for her Hindi and Tamil songs. She has sung over a thousand songs in many Indian languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Assamese, Kannada and Malayalam.-Career:Mahalakshmi made her singing debut with Dus,... , Shankar Mahadevan Shankar Mahadevan Shankar Mahadevan is an Indian music composer and singer. He is a part of the Shankar Ehsaan Loy trio team that composes for Indian films and a playback singer.-Early life:... , Shweta Pandit Shweta Pandit Shweta Pandit is an Indian Playback Singer, Song Writer and Live Performer Actor in Bollywood. She has also recorded songs for Telugu and Tamil film songs.... |
8:02 | Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy are an Indian musical trio consisting of Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa. Record producers, musicians and multi-instrumentalists, they have composed music for over fifty soundtrack across four languages... |
| 8 | Bole - Dole | Bhaumik, K.S. Chitra, Sandeep, Shashi Pritam | 4:21 | Shashi Pritam |
| 9 | Kya Dard Hai | Richa Sharma Richa Sharma Richa Sharma is an Indian film playback singer as well a devotional singer. In 2006, she sang Bollywood's longest track, the bidaai song, in film Baabul .-Early life and background:... , Shankar Mahadevan Shankar Mahadevan Shankar Mahadevan is an Indian music composer and singer. He is a part of the Shankar Ehsaan Loy trio team that composes for Indian films and a playback singer.-Early life:... |
5:40 | Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy are an Indian musical trio consisting of Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa. Record producers, musicians and multi-instrumentalists, they have composed music for over fifty soundtrack across four languages... |
External links
- Review at scifilm.org includes an explanation of the word "rudraksh."