Gorakh Aya

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Gorakh Aya (Gorakh Has Come) is a 1938 Hindi mythological film from Ranjit Movietone. It was the first film directed by Chaturbhuj Doshi, with a screenplay by Gunvantrai Acharya, dialogues by Pyare Lal Santoshi, cinematography by Krishna Gopal, and music by Gyan Dutt. The cast includes Rajkumari, Mazhar Khan, Trilok Kapoor, and Kalyani, with Rajkumari making her playback singing debut in this film.

The story draws on the legend of Machhindra and his disciple Gorakh. Machhindra goes to the Himalayas for seven years of meditation after witnessing wrongs at a temple and returns with a belief that women are to blame for many of life’s troubles. This view spreads across India, which becomes divided into two armies: Tilottama leads a women’s army, while Machhindra leads an all-male army.

Meanwhile, an Egyptian queen plans to invade India and camps near the Indus River. A sage’s daughter nearby, influenced by the queen’s power, forms a women’s army to counter the invaders. India ends up split between the two sides, but Machhindra’s forces eventually defeat the invaders with the help of his followers. Machhindra and Tilottama meet and fall in love. In the end, Gorakh Nath, Machhindra’s disciple, helps him return to his spiritual path.

Gorakh Aya premiered on 30 July 1938 at the West End Theatre in Bombay. Critics noted the need for sharper editing and better outdoor photography, but praised the direction, dialogues, and music. The publicity, which opened with a women-only first day, was well received. The film was expected to be a box-office success due to its entertaining plot. The soundtrack featured Rajkumari, along with Kantilal, Ram Apte, E. G. Pargaonkar, and Kalyani Das, with Rajkumari continuing her career as a playback singer.