This excellent work(1972) of an American director Conrad Rooks made me fall in love with India and its spirituality all over again.
I am so glad I could borrow and watch this movie from a public library (Dow library in Midland Michigan). The cassette claims that it has been recovered in 2002. This movie is based on a Nobel prize winner novel by Hermann Hesse. The music composed and sung by Hemant Kumar who is well known for singing Tagore(Nobel winner). The song tracks are Tagore's compositions. Very melodious.
The story is about a young Brahman of a priest family. The father is a sacred priest of a temple. Next to the temple flows river Ganges. Siddharth grows up with his close friend/follower. Their early childhood is shown to be bathing in the river and performing rituals in the temple. Being fed-up with his father's routine life, Siddharth decides to get out of the town and wishes to become a 'sadhu' and attain nirvana (eternal-peace). His father consents half-heartedly. The best friend Govinda follows him like a shadow. During their journey they both come under the influence of many accomplished sadhus and a Guru. Inspite of serving the Guru, Siddharth is not satisfied and does not feel even being close to attaining nirvana. In the meantime Govind influenced by Buddha himself, joins Buddhism leaving Siddharth alone with his path. The main aspiration of Siddharth is to achieve nirvana without a teacher. He claims why do we need teachers to attain nirvana, a seemingly conflicting belief to Hinduism, which preaches without a Guru its impossible to attain eternal peace. Hinduism is esoteric and abstract. The conflicting facts are not conflicting at all..As Hinduism goes far and teaches that one is the God himself(or herself)..Aham Brahmasmi. At one stage a soul out-stands or out performs the teacher.
So he continues his wandering. In the meantime gets attracted to the pleasure gardens of a beautiful, soulful,courtesan by name Kamala. Siddharth wants to learn the art of love from her. She induces him into materialistic world. He learns all worldly business in order to gain the love of Kamala. Kamala, true to herself, teaches him all he wants. Eventually he gets tired of all of it and leaves that place to become a ferry man. During that time he learns a lot of philosophy from the river. Kamala who now has a son from Siddharth, gets bitten by a snake and dies in the arms of Siddharth. Siddharth tries to bring up his son but the son turns out to be defiant and so on and so forth...From the comment I learned that the ferryman who taught him about truth was none other than Budha himself.
The passionate scene between Shashi Kapoor and Simmy Grewal heats up the screen..I never had imagined that in the best hands of director and photographer, Shashi Kapoor could be so sizzling sensuous. I always find him boring and cold in almost all his movies..
The conversation between Kamala and Siddharth is very touching. After sharing a very passionate, artistic love making, both of them settle to think that they do not love each other. What a disappointment. Two people in true love, sometimes are unable to make passionate love due to situations and two people who after all share passionate physical love are not in love..what an irony of life..The consummation of love (passion + spiritual + commitment) happens only in imaginations ??? I hope not.
For Siddharth, the journey of spirituality is reverse (seem to happen to many people)..Its from "vairagya" (renunciation) to "bhoga" (materialistic luxury) and back again..Some simple men and women who follow simple philosophy and travel from bhoga to yoga and to nirvana(eternal peace), seem to be doing it right...However, there is nothing right and nothing wrong in this journey...Like a meandering river, we all trace(carve) different paths, suitable to our mind and our body. Also, the "chakras" control our actions at different points of time and determine at one point of time what is predominant for us.
The significance of ferryman is not an old concept. In Kannada literature(16th century ?), Purundara Dasa calls God as "ambiga" (ferryman)..God is the ferryman who helps cross this river called life and the ferry is our own body with nine holes. What an artist he must have been to help cross the river in such a perforated boat...:-) Coincidentally I remember this funny incident from Ramayana..Rama requesting a ferryman(kevat in Hindi) to help him cross river Ganga. Before Kevat lets him in his boat, runs and gets a pitcher of water to wash Rama's feet off..When asked why, he narrates the reason which seems so hilarious...He says, if I let you get in my boat with the dust of your feet, there is a fear that the boat may turn into a maid just like stone turning into Ahilya...thats why had to wash your feet..cause I have no other means of living ('main gareeb naiya meri naari naa hoya pade')...:-)
I am so glad I could borrow and watch this movie from a public library (Dow library in Midland Michigan). The cassette claims that it has been recovered in 2002. This movie is based on a Nobel prize winner novel by Hermann Hesse. The music composed and sung by Hemant Kumar who is well known for singing Tagore(Nobel winner). The song tracks are Tagore's compositions. Very melodious.
The story is about a young Brahman of a priest family. The father is a sacred priest of a temple. Next to the temple flows river Ganges. Siddharth grows up with his close friend/follower. Their early childhood is shown to be bathing in the river and performing rituals in the temple. Being fed-up with his father's routine life, Siddharth decides to get out of the town and wishes to become a 'sadhu' and attain nirvana (eternal-peace). His father consents half-heartedly. The best friend Govinda follows him like a shadow. During their journey they both come under the influence of many accomplished sadhus and a Guru. Inspite of serving the Guru, Siddharth is not satisfied and does not feel even being close to attaining nirvana. In the meantime Govind influenced by Buddha himself, joins Buddhism leaving Siddharth alone with his path. The main aspiration of Siddharth is to achieve nirvana without a teacher. He claims why do we need teachers to attain nirvana, a seemingly conflicting belief to Hinduism, which preaches without a Guru its impossible to attain eternal peace. Hinduism is esoteric and abstract. The conflicting facts are not conflicting at all..As Hinduism goes far and teaches that one is the God himself(or herself)..Aham Brahmasmi. At one stage a soul out-stands or out performs the teacher.
So he continues his wandering. In the meantime gets attracted to the pleasure gardens of a beautiful, soulful,courtesan by name Kamala. Siddharth wants to learn the art of love from her. She induces him into materialistic world. He learns all worldly business in order to gain the love of Kamala. Kamala, true to herself, teaches him all he wants. Eventually he gets tired of all of it and leaves that place to become a ferry man. During that time he learns a lot of philosophy from the river. Kamala who now has a son from Siddharth, gets bitten by a snake and dies in the arms of Siddharth. Siddharth tries to bring up his son but the son turns out to be defiant and so on and so forth...From the comment I learned that the ferryman who taught him about truth was none other than Budha himself.
The passionate scene between Shashi Kapoor and Simmy Grewal heats up the screen..I never had imagined that in the best hands of director and photographer, Shashi Kapoor could be so sizzling sensuous. I always find him boring and cold in almost all his movies..
The conversation between Kamala and Siddharth is very touching. After sharing a very passionate, artistic love making, both of them settle to think that they do not love each other. What a disappointment. Two people in true love, sometimes are unable to make passionate love due to situations and two people who after all share passionate physical love are not in love..what an irony of life..The consummation of love (passion + spiritual + commitment) happens only in imaginations ??? I hope not.
For Siddharth, the journey of spirituality is reverse (seem to happen to many people)..Its from "vairagya" (renunciation) to "bhoga" (materialistic luxury) and back again..Some simple men and women who follow simple philosophy and travel from bhoga to yoga and to nirvana(eternal peace), seem to be doing it right...However, there is nothing right and nothing wrong in this journey...Like a meandering river, we all trace(carve) different paths, suitable to our mind and our body. Also, the "chakras" control our actions at different points of time and determine at one point of time what is predominant for us.
The significance of ferryman is not an old concept. In Kannada literature(16th century ?), Purundara Dasa calls God as "ambiga" (ferryman)..God is the ferryman who helps cross this river called life and the ferry is our own body with nine holes. What an artist he must have been to help cross the river in such a perforated boat...:-) Coincidentally I remember this funny incident from Ramayana..Rama requesting a ferryman(kevat in Hindi) to help him cross river Ganga. Before Kevat lets him in his boat, runs and gets a pitcher of water to wash Rama's feet off..When asked why, he narrates the reason which seems so hilarious...He says, if I let you get in my boat with the dust of your feet, there is a fear that the boat may turn into a maid just like stone turning into Ahilya...thats why had to wash your feet..cause I have no other means of living ('main gareeb naiya meri naari naa hoya pade')...:-)