Dharmatma

Extremely rare, old Marathi movie poster of the black and white film, Dharmatma (1935) for sale.

This is an actual surviving original old Marathi movie poster of the 1935 film which was produced by Prabhat Film Company and directed by legendary filmmaker, V. Shantaram.

Dharmatma is a 1935 devotional biopic made in Marathi and Hindi. The film was based on the life of legendary Marathi religious scholar, Sant Eknath, who authored a variation of the Bhagavata Purana called Eknathi Bhagvata. The story of Dharmatma revolves around Sant Eknath’s teachings that tackle social injustices such as untouchability and the class system.

Dharmatma starred Marathi stage legend and noted singer, Bal Gandharva in the lead role as Sant Eknath. The film has the distinction of being one of the few Indian films that tackled the sensitive subject of caste system and untouchability in the 1930s (most notable among others being Achhut Kanya 1936).

V. Shantaram made several mythological films in his career. However, Dharmatma was the only devotional film that he directed, making this old Marathi movie poster, highly collectible.

Printed and circulated a few years after the first release of the film (early 1940s), this old Marathi movie poster was originally designed for publicity of the film but never ended up being used.

In this old Marathi movie poster, lead actor Bal Gandharva and supporting actor Chandra Mohan are seen in black and white photographic stills. The still photos are set against a blue background. The iconic Prabhat Film Company logo is seen on the top left corner that reads, “It’s Prabhat.”

Prabhat Film Company popularly known as Prabhat Films is widely regarded as one of the finest film production companies and film studios in the history of Indian cinema. It was established in 1929 (towards the end of the silent films era) by noted film director V. Shantaram, in Kolhapur, Maharashtra. The company moved to Pune in 1933, where it established its own studio and produced a total of 45 films in both Marathi and Hindi over a period of 27 years. Prabhat Film Company created a name for itself owing largely to its production excellence and social awareness themes.