By Diksha Modi,News18

Copyright news18

From the devotional fervour of Jai Santoshi Maa in the mid-1970s to the nationwide debate sparked by PK in 2014, Hindi cinema has often experimented with stories revolving around faith, disbelief and the questioning of gods. Interestingly, while these narratives invited opposition from various quarters, they also found immense acceptance at the box office, turning into some of Bollywood’s biggest commercial successes. The saga began in 1975 with Jai Santoshi Maa. Released the same year as the iconic Sholay, the devotional drama captured the imagination of the masses. At a time when cinema halls overflowed with cash registers ringing, Jai Santoshi Maa created a cultural wave, strengthening the belief of countless devotees in the goddess and becoming a surprise blockbuster. (News18 Hindi)
The same year also saw the release of Yash Chopra’s Deewar, scripted by Salim-Javed. In one of the film’s most memorable sequences, Amitabh Bachchan, playing an atheist, confronts the divine in Birla Mandir, delivering the line, “Aaj, khush toh bahut hoge tum… (Today! You must be very happy…)” Though Bachchan himself is a believer, he reportedly stayed locked in a room for an entire day to perfect the intensity of that shot, which was filmed at 11 pm. Released on January 24, 1975, the film, starring Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Nirupa Roy, Parveen Babi and Neetu Singh, was the fourth highest-grossing movie of the year, with its songs also achieving immense popularity. (News18 Hindi)
A quarter-century later, Aditya Chopra’s Mohabbatein (2000) revisited a similar trope. Shah Rukh Khan’s character refuses to step into a temple or accept prasad, underlining his inner conflict. The film, headlined by Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan alongside Aishwarya Rai and a host of newcomers, not only minted money at the box office but also signalled Bachchan’s much-acclaimed comeback. Its music turned into an anthem for the new millennium, bagging four Filmfare Awards. (News18 Hindi)
In 2012, Umesh Shukla’s Oh My God (OMG) took the debate to a sharper edge. Accused of “mocking Hindu deities”, the Paresh Rawal-Akshay Kumar starrer was met with demands for a ban. Yet, the film struck a chord with audiences, exploring what God truly expects from his devotees. (News18 Hindi)
Inspired by the Australian film The Man Who Sued God (2001) and a Gujarati play that Rawal himself had staged over 150 times, OMG went on to be ranked 11th among the highest earners of 2012. Despite court cases being filed against the makers, it has since acquired cult status. (News18 Hindi)
Perhaps the most polarising of them all was Rajkumar Hirani’s PK (2014). Released on December 19, the Aamir Khan-starrer sparked nationwide protests, effigy burnings, and heated debates. The film’s controversial sequence – where Khan steals a trident from an actor playing Lord Shiva and locks him in a toilet – provoked outrage from several religious groups. Yet, the film smashed box-office records within just 13 days. (News18 Hindi)
Explaining the film’s theme, Hirani had remarked, “The film depicts two gods: one who created us, and the other whom we created. We don’t know anything about the one who created us, but the one we created wants name, fame, and money just like us. This was the core theme of the film.” (News18 Hindi)