(Image source from: How Mahatma Gandhi inspired Bollywood})

If there is one political figure who has inspired Bollywood relentlessly, it  has to be Mahatma Gandhi.

From Richard Attenborough's biopic "Gandhi" (1982) to Shyam Benegal's "The Making of Mahatma" and Kanal Hassan's "Hey Ram" to the new age director Rajkumar Hirani's "Munna Bhai", where he contemporarized and endorsed Gandhigiri, no other Indian leader have been an omnipresent part of Indian films like Bapu himself. Not just  his life, principles and ideologies, but even his prayer song “Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram” have made its way to numerous films — rapped, remixed, refrained and as a part of a medley. Here's how Bollywood paid a musical tribute to Mahatma Gandhi in their films.

In Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)
Incorporated as a medley, the remixed track featured Raja Ram as a fade-away refrain while a male voice  lurched a high pitched Patita Pavana Sita Ram.  

In Satyagraha (2013)
Thanks to composer-writer duo Salim and Sulaiman, the famous refrain of Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram was powerfully packed into the track “Uthkar karne hain kuch kaam, Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram.”

In Krrish 3 (yet to be released)
Close to the heels of the teaser, came the video Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram that has nothing in common to the original prayer song, and neither is it used in a 'revolution' inspiring manner, but is a party song, made on the lines of “Radha teri chunri” in SOTY. Gen-next or far-fetched?

In Zanjeer (2013)
Apoorva Lakhia's out-and-out masala caper opened  to the chants of Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram. Not only that, the song  was the first to show violence choreographed to Gandhiji's prayer ever before.

AW: Suchorita Dutta