National Award winning writer Raam Mori’s film ‘Krishnavataram Part 1: The Heart’ has attracted attention for its unique insight into Lord Krishna’s journey through the eyes of Satyabhama. Based on the 2025 novel Satyabhama, the film explores Krishna’s life after his separation from her. Radha and his association with Rukmini and Satyabhama. In an exclusive interview with ETimes, Raam Mori shared some interesting insights about the film and its emotional story.
How does it feel to see your novel adapted on the big screen into a devotional film like Satyabhama Krishnavataram Part 1: The Heart?
First of all, I am extremely grateful, as a writer I feel incredibly special because this is my debut Hindi film. The entire experience of interviewing and writing the script for this film has been memorable and has definitely given me more confidence as a writer. I have written about seven Gujarati films, but this is my first Hindi, so I feel really fresher. I often tell my friends that I can relate to Priyanka Chopra a lot more now. How she left Mumbai for LA and had to reinvent herself from scratch. In Mumbai, when I work, I almost feel like no one really connected me to my early Gujarati films. So as a screenwriter, it feels like starting all over again, and to be honest, I enjoyed that part as well. We already have a rich tradition of literature adapted to film, and I am very happy to be a part of this incredible tradition where my work has now been made into a film. More than that, I also feel lucky to have been able to adapt myself. Screenwriting and book writing are two different art forms, but they are closely related. Satyabhama is a best selling Gujarati novel. Readers of all ages have shown love, especially Generation Z. Seeing the characters from my book come to life on the movie screen is a huge joy and honor for me as a writer.
What prompted you to write about the phase of Lord Krishna’s life after his separation from Radha?
As for Krishna, what has always fascinated me is his journey. It never ends and continues to this day. As a writer, whether writing the mega-musical play Rajadhiraj, the novel Satyabhama or Krishnavataram, I have come to understand more deeply that Krishna and his stories are timeless. And over time, they become even more personal. Also, I now realize that the separation of Krishna from Radha was never really a separation. They were never separated to begin with. Radha herself was another form of Krishna, one who taught the world the meaning of pure love. It was Krishna Gopa of Gokul, Giridhar. But the subsequent phase was Mathuradhipati, Rannchhod, Jagdish and Dwarkadheesh. I have always loved seeing Krishna in the roles of an ideal hero, ruler, friend and guru. I think that was the biggest inspiration for writing the next chapters of his story.
Why did you choose to focus on the emotional journey of Rukmini and Sathyabhama in the story?
Basically, both the novel and the film are told from Satyabhama’s point of view. Here, Satyabhama is exploring Krishna. During that journey, the stories of Radha, Rukmini, Jambavati and Krishna’s sixteen thousand Gopis unfolded naturally, which was a bonus for me. These stories have always appealed to me as a reader and admirer. I knew I wanted to explore the emotional depth of Radha-Krishna, Rukmini-Krishna, Satyabhama-Krishna and Jambavati-Krishna. I wanted to understand the love and wisdom woven into those layers. I’m sure readers and viewers feel the same way. When you understand someone’s emotional core, that person begins to feel much more intimate and personal with you.
How important is it for modern audiences to present mythology with emotional realism?
Our stories and our history hold all the answers we need today. Motivation, faith, energy, support – anything you can call it. I have always felt these things in our traditional stories. The new generations are more and more rooted. An entire generation that feels a lack of emotional depth and connection in their relationships is slowly turning to spirituality. At that time, telling historical and traditional stories through cinema is perfectly appropriate. My novel Satyabhama and the film Krishnavataram are finding a strong connection, especially with the new age audience.
As a writer, what was the most challenging aspect of humanizing divine characters like Krishna, Rukmini and Sathyabhama?
All these characters are divine beings born in human form. The only real challenge was making sure they were never disrespected and their grace never diminished. I kept this in mind in every conversation and every scene. Their pain, love, happiness, sadness, anger and jealousy are deep emotions. However, while writing, there was always a constant awareness in my mind that they are manifestations of the divine.
Can you share a moment in the film adaptation process that was particularly moving or memorable for you?
For the last five years or so, my life has revolved around Krishna Rajadhiraj, Satyabhama and now Krishnavataram. But the process itself has been incredibly enjoyable. I’m the type of writer who loves the process more than the results. When my director, Hardik Gajjar, informed me that Prakash Kapadia would be joining Krishnavataram as writer, I literally danced with joy. I know almost all the dialogues from his films ‘Devdas’, ‘Bajirao Mastani’ and ‘Padmaavat’ by heart, all written by Prakashbhai, who is one of my favorite screenwriters. So having my name next to Prakash Kapadia in the dialogue and script credits of Krishnavataram is one of the most memorable moments of my career. My close friends play this little game now after watching the movie “These Conversations Should Be Yours…Prakashbhai’s” and honestly, it gives me immense joy as a writer.
As this is the first part of a trilogy, what can the audience expect from the upcoming chapters?
The first part explored the heart, now our producers Sajan Raj Kurup, Shobha Sant, Poonam Shroff and Parth Gajjar are focusing on Mahabharata and Moksha. Krishna’s story is vast. Krishna’s divine play is endless. From the bottom of my heart, I send Creative Land Studios my best wishes for this beautiful journey ahead.
