Pratik Gandhi On Ravan Leela’s Title  Change

Pratik Gandhi’s next release which was earlier entitled Raavan Leela is now entitled Bhavai.

According to the film’s director Hardik Gajjar the  change was made keeping the audiences’ sentiments in mind.

The film’s leading man Pratik Gandhi spoke to this writer on the  titular change.  “Well, with the name Raavan Leela  some people felt hurt and they felt that the film is glorifying Raavan and demeaning God Ram. Which is not at all the story of the film .”

Pratik Gandhi feels the change  in the title was unwarranted. “There is nothing in the film that can hurt any sentiments.It’s a love story between two actors—yes  I play  and  an actor and do does my co-star Aindrita Ray– and how people mix up their reel life and real life . So just to avoid any misunderstanding and misinterpretation the whole team decided to change the name to Bhavai .”

This is  not the first  film in recent times with a similar title   set in  a Gujarati milieu and  directed by a Gujarati to  go through an  enforced titular change.

In  2013  Sanjay Leela  Bhansali’s Ram-Leela  had to be changed to  Goliyon Ki Raasleela  Ram-Leela when in fact the  film had nothing to do with the  pauranic  performance known as  the Ram Leela. Ram  and Leela were  the names given to Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone in  this  love story set in Gujarat.Leela is the  director Sanjay Bhansali’s mother’s name  and he meant the title to be  a tribute to her.

A  leading filmmaker  with several  opuses  to his credit says  the usage  of  names from the religious books stand unofficially banned in Bollywood. “Everyone knows you can’t name your film or your protagonists  after gods  and  goddesses, no matter what the context.”