Today we remind you of one such film released in the year 1975. Which was released in the same year with the iconic film 'Sholay' directed by Ramesh Sippy. The film gave a tough competition to 'Sholay' while performing well at the box office. And that year's release was second only to Sholay in terms of earning in films. At the end of this film, prasad was distributed at all places. Many spectators used to enter the cinema hall by removing slippers and shoes and carrying flowers and garlands and prasad. The sweepers of the theaters became rich by collecting the coins looted during the film. The name of this film was "Jai Santoshi Maa".
At the time of making the film neither such success was expected, nor any special enthusiasm. The film was produced under the production company and distributor named 'Bhagyalakshmi Chitra Mandir'. The producer was 'Satram Rohra' and the director was 'Vijay Sharma'. The writer of the film was 'R Priyadarshi', the music was by 'C Arjun'. The lyrics were written by Kavi Pradeep, the singers were Kavi Pradeep himself, Manna Dey, Mahendra Kapoor and Usha Mangeshkar. In which poets Pradeep and Usha Mangeshkar were honored with many awards. Usha ji sang,,,, 'I do your fast, accept it mother...',,,, 'I will perform the aarti of Santoshi Mata...'. These songs can be heard even today on the occasion of worship. The role of Santoshi Mata was played by 'Anita Guha' in the film. Other artists were Kanan Kaushal, Ashish Kumar, Bharat Bhushan, Leela Mishra, Mahipal and Trilok Kapoor etc.
Whenever there is talk of bumper earning films made in low budget, "Jai Santoshi Maa" is remembered. The film with a budget of around 12-25 lakhs earned a lot of money. When the film was released, the theatergoers had even forgotten that they had released a new film last Friday. It is said that the film collected Rs 56 in the first show, Rs 64 in the second, Rs 98 in the evening show and barely touched Rs 100 in the night show. But the commotion that started from Monday morning, then for months the crowd remained uncontrollable wherever "Jai Santoshi Maa" was chanted. Music was the biggest contributor to the film being a bumper hit. Composer C Arjun gave very original and folk tunes to the songs written by poet Pradeep. Poet Pradeep himself sang two songs in the film. The voices of Manna Dey and Mahendra Kapoor fit perfectly on the characters of the film, and Usha Mangeshkar did a wonderful job.
Before the release of the film, people did not even know that such a goddess was mentioned in the Puranas. Even the actress 'Anita Guha' who played the role of Santoshi Maa in this film herself did not know that there was such a goddess. In the year 2006, when the film was to be telecast for the first time on Star Gold. Then before the broadcast, the channel people found Anita Guha and got her interviewed a lot. Although once upon a time people used to throng in front of his flat in Bandra to have a glimpse of him. He had also told then how people used to put their children in his lap to get blessings.
Those who have spent their childhood in those times will remember that in those days even looking at a chaat shop on Fridays was considered a big crime. And the child who accidentally eats sour on Friday, that poor child would live for weeks in this guilt that something inauspicious might happen at home. As long as the film was in theaters, it ran with great fanfare. Those coming from the villages used to take off their slippers and enter the theaters. They would bring flower garlands with them. And when there was a scene of Santoshi Mata's Aarti in the film, everyone would light their own Aarti and start performing Aarti. After the completion of the film, Prasad would be distributed outside the theatres. Shopkeepers selling Vrat Katha along with framed photographs of Santoshi Maa outside cinema halls and people who set up stalls of shoes and slippers used to earn a lot.
A lot of research was done on the socio-economic impact of the film 'Jai Santoshi Maa'. This film promoted Goddess Santoshi so much in India and abroad that a separate business of her photographs and fasting stories developed. Santoshi Mata temples were built everywhere in the whole country. People started worshiping him with devotion and for the first time in this film, people in the country were tempted to do the business of religion. And fasting on Friday has become like a fashion in every house.
However, after this a play was made on the story of this film 'Katha Santoshi Maa', then the film 'Sixteen Fridays' and in 2006 the film was remade with the same name. The heroine was 'Nushrat Bharucha'. But all of them were super flops.
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