Shiv Bhakta 1955

   Shiv bakhta was a mythological film that came under AVM production, directed by H L N Sinha and music by Chitrgupta. Songs were penned by Gopal Singh Nepali.  Songs were considered evergreen.

 Padmini’s role was a vamp. There are excellent classical dances by Padmini in this film.

This was Padmini’s third hindi film followed by Kalpana 1948 and Mr Sampat 1952.

Padmini as Rani In Shiv Bhakta

Story:

   Manimantha and Alka, A husband and wife of gandharvaloka, are compelled because of a curse to return to earth as mortals. How they seek and find salvation is their story, and the story of Shiv Bhakta.

   

They are found as babies by the chieftain of a tribe hunters. He takes them home and brings them up. In course of time they both grow up. Deena (Shahu Modek) grows to manhood and Neela (Pandari Bhai) becomes his pretty wife. Heaven now takes a hand in their affairs.

Deena, himself a hunter and the chieftain’s favorite, is envied by his fellow who conspire against him and their plotting culminates in the banishment of the couple from the tribe. Deena, burning under these happenings losses faith in God.

  

 Husband and wife leaves for Kalahasti. Hard times befall them and Deena turns against God, though his wife’s faith remains unshaken.

  

 One stormy day, Deena loses his way in the rain and seeks shelter in the temple of Sri Kalahastishwar. He meets Kashi (Anant Kumar), thye nephew of the chief priest of the temple (Misra). Their meeting is a turning point in the young hunter’s life.

   

 Kashi teaches Deena a mantra which brings him success as a hunter. The mantra makes him think of God again and on his return he offers a rabbit to the temple God.

  

 When Kashi comes to the temple, he is happy to discover the offering. But his uncle, the chief priest, objects to the offering of meat and learns from Kashi that it is the hunter’s.

The chief priest recalls him (Deena) as the person who had insulted him once in front of the house of a temple dancer named Rani (Padmini). The dancer has a hold on the chief priest; both she and her mother (Rushyendramani) exploiting him for gifts of money and jewel.

   

Soon there comes an occasion when Rani asks the chief priest for a necklace from the idol of goddess Parvathi. The chief priest goes to the temple and removes the necklace and, as he makes off with it, he sees Deena there. He hies himself to Rani’s house, gives her the necklace and returns to the temple accompanied by the village headman before whom he accuses Deena of the theft.

   

The hunter is brought before the village panchayat to answer charges of desecrating the temple with the flesh of animals and of stealing the goddess’s necklace.

   

Deena’s wife Neela comes to the panchayat meeting to plead her husband’s cause, but in vain. The chief priest dominates the proceedings and the innocent hunter is condemned. In despair Neela goes to the Priest’s house and begs his wife Gouri to get her husband to pardon Deena. Just then the priest arrives and turns the unfortunate woman out.

Meanwhile Deena is chained and tortured. But he does not shake off his new found faith and, while he prays, the iron chain which bind him fall apart miraculously. Deena runs to the temple and there finds blood flowing ceaselessly from the eye of the shiva linga. Unable to bear the sight, he prepares to gouge out his own eyes and offer them to the image.

 

Deena offering his eyes to Shiva Linga

 The villagers come running to the temple where they find Shiva and Parvathi blessing the brave and faithful hunter. They all embrace him.

  Having in the manner, undergone all their worldly sufferings, Manimathana and Alka once again attain peace, happiness and salvation.