Vikramaditya (film)

{{Short description|1945 Indian film}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}

{{Use Indian English|date=November 2015}}

{{Infobox film

| name = Vikramaditya

| image = Vikramaditya_1945.jpg

| caption =

| director = Vijay Bhatt

| producer = "Vijay-Shankar" Bhatt

| writer =

| narrator =

| starring = {{ubl|Prithviraj Kapoor|Prem Adib|Baburao Pendharkar|Ratnamala}}

| music = Shankar Rao Vyas

| cinematography =

| editing =

| distributor =

| studio = Prakash Pictures

| released = {{Film date|1945}}

| runtime = 166 minutes

| country = British India

| language = Hindi

| budget =

| gross =

}}

Vikramaditya is a 1945 Hindi historical drama film directed by Vijay Bhatt for his banner Prakash Pictures.{{cite web|url=http://www.gomolo.com/vikramaditya-movie/1339|title=Vikramaditya (1945)|publisher=Gomolo.com|access-date=15 January 2015}}{{cite book|author1=Ashish Rajadhyaksha|author2=Paul Willemen|title=Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rF8ABAAAQBAJ&pg=RA11-PA1994-IA1|access-date=15 January 2015|date=10 July 2014|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-135-94325-7|pages=11–}} The title role of the King of Avanti, Vikramaditya, was played by Prithviraj Kapoor, who had made a name for himself as a good actor by then and was extremely popular.{{cite web|last1=Ausaja|first1=S M M|title=Romancing The Reel|url=http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main37.asp?filename=Ws010308Romancing.asp|website=archive.tehelka.com|publisher=Anant Media Pvt. Ltd. Tehelka.com|access-date=15 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141204132116/http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main37.asp?filename=Ws010308Romancing.asp|archive-date=4 December 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} The film was made as a result of Bhatt's interest in history and on the request of the Vikram Bimillenium Committee, celebrating the 2000 years of the King Vikramaditya according to the Vikram Samvat, Hindu calendar. The film-maker concentrated on factual history rather than fiction for his story.{{cite book|author1=Rachel Dwyer|author2=Senior Lecturer in Indian Studies Rachel Dwyer|title=Filming the Gods: Religion and Indian Cinema|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZsKR1RKoJKUC&pg=PA35|access-date=14 January 2015|date=27 September 2006|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-38070-1|pages=35–}}{{cite web|last1=Pathak|first1=Pauravi|title=Vijay Bhatt, Spotlight-Phase 2|url=http://www.vijaybhatt.net/spotlight_phase2.html|website=vijaybhatt.net|publisher=Pauravi Pathak|access-date=15 January 2015}} The music direction was by Shankar Rao Vyas with the lyricists being Ramesh Gupta and Roopdas.{{cite web|url=http://www.hindigeetmala.net/movie/vikramaditya.htm |title=Vikramaditya (1945)|publisher=Hindi Geetmala|access-date=15 January 2015}} The film starred Prithviraj Kapoor, Prem Adib, Baburao Pendharkar, Ratnamala, Bhagwandas and Ranjana.{{cite web|url=http://www.citwf.com/film373394.htm|title=Vikramaditya|publisher=Alan Goble|access-date=15 January 2015}}

The story revolves around the king Vikramaditya, who promises to save the princess of Kashmir, appoints Kalidas as court-poet, and his fight against the Shakas (Scythians).