Jai Santoshi Maa completes 50 years: A movie about faith, reverence and an unforgettable box office triumph

Despite having a modest budget, the movie ended up being one of the biggest hits at the box office during that time.

The 1975 film Jai Santoshi Maa is not only a spiritual film but a phenomenon in itself. The Vijay Sharma directorial completes 50 years today, May 18 since its release.

Despite being a small film when it was first released, Jai Santoshi Maa gained popularity thanks to its devotional songs. The song "Main Toh Aarti Utaaru Re" was turned into a real-life aarti. That song is still sung as a form of prayer by people in both cities and villages.

The movie had evolved into a spiritual revolution. Despite having a modest budget, the movie ended up being one of the biggest hits at the box office during that time. Veteran actors Ashish Kumar, Rajnibala, Anita Guha, Kanan Kaushal, and Bela Bose played the main parts.

Jai Santoshi Maa was produced on budget of just Rs 2.5 lakh. Despite its humble scale, the film defied expectations and became an all-time blockbuster, raking in an impressive Rs 5 crore at the box office.

Ramesh Sippy's legendary blockbuster Sholay, which starred Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Sanjeev Kumar, Amjad Khan, and Jaya Bachchan, was released in theatres the same year as Jai Santoshi Maa and quickly became a cinematic phenomenon.

Yet, despite the overwhelming craze surrounding Sholay, Jai Santoshi Maa remarkably held its own. Over the years, it has often been compared with Sholay in terms of box office success in 1975. Against all odds, and with far fewer resources, Jai Santoshi Maa emerged as the only film that managed to carve a significant space for itself during Sholay's reign.

In an earlier interview with ETimes, Film critic and historian Dilip Thakur recently shared some intriguing insights into the journey of Jai Santoshi Maa. He recalled that the film was initially released as an "also-ran," with modest expectations. At the time, filmmakers like Chandrakant and Homi Wadia were known for producing mythological cinema.

He also said, "During those times, women didn’t get to watch movies by themselves. So, separate shows for women were organised on Saturdays because kids would have a half-day at school. Those shows used to be called Janani (Hindi synonym for the word mother) Shows."

During that time, the devotional genre was failing to impress the audience at the theatres including films like Sampoorna Ramayana flopped at the box office but then Jai Santoshi Maa revived the entire genre with its exceptional performances.

Due in large part to its devotional music, Jai Santoshi Maa unexpectedly gained popularity despite its modest release. Audiences responded so strongly to the song Main Toh Aarti Utaaru Re that it left the movie and was frequently used as an aarti in actual religious ceremonies.

Jai Santoshi Maa shocked the industry by becoming the second-highest-grossing film of the year, trailing only Sholay in domestic collections, during a historic year for Indian cinema that saw the release of major blockbusters. The trade was caught off guard by its unexpected box office success, which solidified its legacy in film history.