Narsi Bhagat poster for sale.
Featured here is a rare vintage Bollywood poster of the old 1957 devotional Hindi film produced and directed by Devendra Goel that starred Shahu Modak in the titular role of the revered saint and poet, Narsinh Mehta.
Narsi Bhagat (1957) also starred Nirupa Roy, Lalita Pawar, Radhakishan, Pratima Devi and Madan Puri in supporting roles. The film was based on the inspirational life of Narsinh Mehta (1414–1488), who is regarded as the “Adi Kavi” or the first poet of Gujarati language.
The founding father of devotional poetry in Western India, Narsinh Mehta composed over 20,000 hymns and poems in his lifetime, which continue to be deeply influential in Gujarat’s cultural identity.
The film also traces his exceptional contribution towards social reform, highlighting his courage in calling out the mistreatment of lower caste untouchables by members of the upper caste. Narsinh Mehta was the original creator of the phrase “Harijan”, which literally translates to “children of God.” Five hundred years later, Mahatma Gandhi borrowed and popularized the term during his social reform campaigns against untouchability.
Printed and circulated during a subsequent release run of the film (somewhere in the 1960s), this Narsi Bhagat poster was printed for publicity of the film in north Indian theaters but never ended up being used.
Such was the influence of Narsi Bhagat on the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi that many believed Gandhi to be a reincarnation of his spirit. Narsi Bhagat’s famous hymn “Vaishnava Jana” is remembered as Mahatma Gandhi’s favorite and was sung daily during the Indian independence movement.
This devotional film poster was originally designed in hand painted oil on canvas format by a Bollywood movie poster art studio in Delhi.
Lead actor Shahu Modak is seen in his saintly character of Narsinh Mehta at the center. He is illustrated wearing a saffron cloth that has the words “Radhe Shyam” (Radha Krishna) written all over. A divine halo is seen surrounding his head. A bust size close up portrait of actress Lalita Pawar is seen on the left, while Nirupa Roy and Radhakishan appear illustrated bellow.
The artwork is set against a minimal pastel blue background, which makes it stand out in contrast. Dwarkadhish Temple (Dwarka) where Lord Krishna is worshiped is seen in the distance on the top right. Mount Girnar in Junagadh is seen on the top left of this Narsi Bhagat poster.
Typography used in this vintage Bollywood poster is entirely in Devanagari Hindi. Painted in a striking red font, the title stands out with a sharp yellow border.
The soundtrack album of Narsi Bhagat (1957) was composed by Ravi. It featured the memorable devotional track, “Darshan Do Ghanshyam,” sung by legendary singers Hemant Kumar, Manna Dey, and Sudha Malhotra.
