Jai Santoshi Maa (1975 Film)जय संतोषी माँ (1975 फ़िल्म)

Jai Santoshi Maa is a Hindi devotional film released on 30 May 1975. Directed by Vijay Sharma, it told the story of Santoshi Mata and of a devoted young wife who keeps the sixteen-Friday vrat. Made on a small budget with little-known actors, it became one of the most successful films of its year and played a large part in spreading the worship of the goddess and her Friday vrat across India.

The film at a glance

Cast

• Anita Guha as Santoshi Mata
• Kanan Kaushal as Satyavati, the devotee of the goddess
• Ashish Kumar as Birju, Satyavati's husband
• Bharat Bhushan as Satyavati's father
• Mahipal as the sage Narada
• Trilok Kapoor as Lord Shiva

The story in brief

The film runs on two levels, among the gods and among human beings, with the sage Narada moving between them. It opens in the world of the gods, where Santoshi Mata is born as the daughter of Lord Ganesha and his consorts Riddhi and Siddhi.

On earth, Satyavati, a devotee of Santoshi Mata, marries Birju, but his jealous sisters-in-law treat her harshly. Prompted by Narada, the goddesses Lakshmi, Parvati and Saraswati decide to test her devotion. Birju leaves home to earn a living, and his family is led to believe that he has died. Left alone and ill-treated, Satyavati reaches her lowest point, and Narada advises her to keep the sixteen-Friday fast of Santoshi Mata.

Satyavati completes the vrat. Birju recovers his memory of her and returns home with wealth, and the couple build a home with a shrine to the goddess. At the final ceremony an attempt is made to break the vow with something sour (lime juice), but in the end peace is restored and Santoshi Mata's place among the gods is affirmed. The screenplay draws on the popular vrat katha, though the film adds episodes of its own. The traditional story is on the vrat katha page.

Songs

The songs were composed by C. Arjun with lyrics by the poet Kavi Pradeep. The best loved of them is the aarti "Main To Aarti Utaru Re Santoshi Mata Ki", sung by Usha Mangeshkar, which is still sung in many homes and temples. Other songs include "Karti Hoon Tumhara Vrat Main", "Madad Karo Santoshi Mata" and "Yahan Wahan Jahan Tahan". At the Bengal Film Journalists' Association awards, Kavi Pradeep was named best male playback singer (Hindi) for "Yahan Wahan" and Usha Mangeshkar best female playback singer (Hindi), and Usha Mangeshkar was also nominated for a Filmfare award for "Main To Aarti". The traditional aarti of the goddess, "Jai Santoshi Mata", is given on the aarti page.

Success at the box office

Jai Santoshi Maa was a low-budget film, reportedly made for about ₹25 lakh, and it is reported to have earned around ₹5 crore. It is remembered as one of the highest-earning films of 1975, the year of Sholay and Deewaar, an unusual achievement for a devotional film without major stars.

How the film spread the vrat

Before the film, the worship of Santoshi Mata was already growing among women in North India, spreading by word of mouth, through inexpensive vrat pamphlets and through devotional posters. The film carried her story to a far larger audience.

• Many viewers, especially women, treated the cinema hall like a shrine. Some removed their shoes before entering, offered flowers and coins, and responded with devotion when the goddess appeared on screen.
• Special Friday shows were later held for women who kept the Friday vrat.
• Pictures and shrines of Santoshi Mata became more and more common in temples and homes.

Because the film was based on the vrat katha rather than on the epics or Puranas, it is often cited as a striking example of a film shaping popular religious practice. For many families, the vrat they keep today came to them through someone who first learnt of Santoshi Mata from this film. More about the goddess is on the about Santoshi Mata page.

The 2006 remake

A remake with the same title, Jai Santoshi Maa, was released in 2006, and Usha Mangeshkar again sang the devotional songs. Other films and television serials about the goddess have also been made since, but the 1975 film remains the best known.

Frequently asked questions