The film was a combination of Valmiki's Ramayana, with Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas and Bhavbhuti's play "Uttar Ramcharit" according to the credit roll, and a remake of Bhatt's classic film of the 1940s of the same name.[4] This time the film was in colour and instead of Shobhana Samarth, it had Bina Rai as Sita. However, as cited in "Illustrated Weekly of India", Rai's role as the "masochistic Indian woman" towards the end of Rai's career as an actress disappointed the audiences and she was unacceptable as Sita.[5]
Plot
Rama returns to Ayodhya after being banished for fourteen years to the forest by his father Dashratha on the say of his second wife Kaikeyi. Rama's wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana had accompanied him in his exile. Sita was kidnapped by Ravan, King of Lanka, a war ensued with the death of Ravan and rescue of Sita. Valmiki in his hermitage has completed his epic Ramayana, and sends a messenger to King Rama asking permission to have it recited to him at his court. Good news arrives that Sita is expecting. However, things are set in motion when a washerwoman comes for justice as her husband throws her out of the house when her virtue is questioned as under unforeseen circumstances she spends the night with a man other than her husband. Things spiral out of control when the washerman and the public of Ayodhya question Sita's virtue following her forced captivity at Lanka. Sita has to go through a test of fire but even then the talk continues and Rama is forced to banish her to the forest. Lakshman takes her there and tells her of Rama’s intention of forsaking her. Appalled she jumps into the Ganga, but is saved by the sage Valmiki. Being pregnant, he reminds her of her duty as a queen and the need for her to provide heirs. She stays in the hutment anonymously and gives birth to twins called Luv and Kusha. Time passes and Rama is miserable with the step he had to take. Sage Vashishta has arranged for a Yagna to be performed by Rama. Valmiki's Ramayana is read by the boys and they sing out the verses. The twins meet are taken by Valmiki to Ayodhya to attend the Yagna. The children are unaware of their lineage. Valmiki makes them recite the story he has written which impresses Rama but he too is unaware of who the boys are. Finally after a short war between father and sons, they are united along with Sita.
Vijay Bhatt had earlier made several films based on the epic Ramayana, which included Bharat Milap (1942), Ram Rajya (1943) and Rambaan (1948) and they had all proved successful at the box-office.[6] Bhatt is cited by Rajadhyaksha and Willemen as stating that his "interest in Hindu fantasy was a logical extension of his Gandhian sympathies".[7]
Soundtrack
The highlight of the soundtrack was a Ragmala composed by music director Vasant Desai with lyrics by Bharat Vyas performed by Kathak dancer Gopi Krishna and actress Snehlata. Desai had a "penchant" for using Raga Malhar in songs like "Dar Laage Garje Badariya" sung by Lata Mangeshkar.[8] According to Raju Bharatan, Vasant Desai had been chosen as a recipient for the inaugural 'Dr. Brihaspati Award", later known as the "Saraswati Award", but it was pointed out by composer Naushad that two of the songs from the 1967 Ram Rajya were "replicate" songs from the original Ram Rajya (1943) composed for it by Shankar Rao Vyas. The award (Saraswati Award) that year (1968) went to Naushad for the film Palki (1967).[4] The playback singers were Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi, Manna Dey, Suman Kalyanpur and Usha Timothy.[9]
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