By Entertainment Desk May 18, 2025
Made on a shoestring budget of Rs 2.5 lakh, the film was released as a B-grade “also-ran” alongside bigger mythological films. Despite its low expectations, it defied the odds.
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Directed by Vijay Sharma, Jai Santoshi Maa (1975), is one of Indian cinema’s most influential devotional films.
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The film was a box office sensation, earning Rs 5 crore, an astounding return at the time. It emerged as the second-highest grossing film of 1975, after Sholay.
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Jai Santoshi Maa held its ground even as Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay (featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, and Hema Malini) dominated headlines and screens.
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The devotional track “Main Toh Aarti Utaaru Re” transcended cinema and entered religious practices, becoming an actual aarti sung in households and temples.
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The film told the story of Satyavati, a devoted follower of Goddess Santoshi Maa, and her trials of faith, endurance, and divine justice.
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It starred Kanan Kaushal as Satyavati and Ashish Kumar, with music by C. Arjun and lyrics by Kavi Pradeep.
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It sparked widespread worship of Santoshi Maa, who was not as popularly revered before the film.
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Even after 50 years, Jai Santoshi Maa is remembered as a film that blurred the lines between cinema and spirituality.
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