Discuss the movie
A total waste of time or an enlightning film.
Are their layers and layers to the film waiting to be discovered.
What questions does it answer? What questions does it raise?
How did the movie change you?
On a lighter note ,who bowled you over with his/her performance,what were the technical faults ,shortcomings of the movie?
Feel free to post your comments
posted by me2007 at 4/14/2006 11:14:00 PM
39 Comments:
on a lighter note, ashmit was truly divine in the movie
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 2006
Movie Review: Banaras
Warning:
posted by Aranyi
Oops, I forgot. There's nothing to spoil that hasn't been already by the movie itself.
Oh God! I dont even want to review this it was soooo bad!!!! The one star it was given was right, even if you are a self-proclaimed Seeker and are excited that even Bollywood might have something to say on the topic. Because that's what I am, and I was interested to see the take Bollywood might have on spirituality.
Honestly, it's a beautiful movie. In terms of visuals that is. Made me want to visit for sure. Not to mention want a house like the kind that Urmila and her parents Dimple Kapadia and Raj Babbar lived in - right against and overlooking the vast expanse of the Ganga, with ghats leading down from the house itself - an angan inside with rooms leading off it in the od style - an old-fashioned living room upstairs with light streaming in from the doors leading to the gallery overlooking the river - ooooh! I dont think any pilgrimage town in India has ever looked so clean and EMPTY.
It is a vacuous story about Urmila falliing in love with some lower-caste adopted orphan Sohum, played by Ashmit Patel, who could maybe be goodlooking, but who certainly cannot act. Oh God, there is absolutely no progression in the development of chemistry in them! In fact the way they fall in love defies even the lack of logic of regular hindi movies! Even in terms of physical chemistry, it might have worked if Ashmit spent less effort flexing and posing so the camera could get the best angles, and more on his romantic body language. And Urmila prances about Banaras Hindu University in cleavage-hinting tight clothes and even wears a tshirt with a goddess printed on it (a practice I have personal issues with). She meets the guru who has taken an interest in Sohum, which is the name he gave him from Sohan, played by Naseeeruddin Shah who is utterly wasted because the dialogues are so damn bad. They get engaged and then Sohum is murdered. Urmila begins to go mad with grief before she is inexplicably transformed into Shwetambhari 'Ma', after curing the psychiatrist (WRONG usage of the term - a psychologist is one who counsels, while a psychiatrist is qualified to prescribe medical treatment such as antidepressants etc) who had come to India in the final stage of lung cancer to die, and who miraculously survives the cloud of smoke he gets lost in in a trance. Then Urmila leaves home to preach abroad, and makes peace with her parents when her father is on his deathbed. Of course the guru is a vision as he has been dead for centuries, and Sohum is everywhere. *catches throat to gag*
Oh GOD what total timepass! It might have been a decent story without the jingoistic 'ye Banaras hai. Yahaan kuch bhi ho sakta hai" *Rolls eyes*. Only one somewhat decent song - sindhoori Shaam. Not that crap love song they are currently playing on radio.
The 'spiritual' dialogues are intoned in such a monotonous manner that they completely escape you, lulling you into a stupor, not an epiphany. I completely zoned out, concentrating instead on Urmila's pretty saris and the 3/4 sleeve blouse style that Dimple wears. Dimple looks regal, though a little worn out. I love saris even I want!!!
The only thing 'mystic' about this story might just be the haze before your eyes in which white letters swim when the end credits roll in as you wake up from your 2-hour nap. The only 'love' or lack of it you may observe, is that for the quality of the seats in your theatre, or the company of your buddy who likes to comment. I spent the entire movie snickering.
To give it the benefit of the doubt, because i feel bad saying negative things, it could have had potential (unless the director wanted a piece of thd UP bhaiyya and religious aunty market action), but became a miserably failed experiment. My friend's dad says it teaches one about forgiveness and miracles. I say there's nothing to think about unless you want to, and there are many more things wrthy of your attention if you are truly seeking lessons.
Conclusion: Isn't it obvious?
Anonymous said...
I personally applaud the makers of this film because they have tried to put such an esoteric subject into a commerical format for lay mans understanding, referring to those philosphy into our daily life and all around the reality which we have shut away and created our own illusions.
And message of this movie is amazing, teaches you compassion, tolerance , understanding, least of the message. One does need to revioke their sixth sense….while you are at it please read basic spirituality book " Autobiography of Yoganand" or even Swami Rama's "Himalayan Masters"
To me the movie unfolds these basic layers:
To my level of understating the layer it unearthens are:
1) first questioning our basic understating of religion
2) our question of do we exist? Or is this an illusionary world
3) we do exist and this world is actually manifestation of our reality
4) so we accept this reality
5) in this reality is it by chance we meet people or is there any purpose?
6) Do people who have died in our life cease to exist? Because they leave their physical body? But if you realize people you love never die, they become part of you and live within you example your parents , friends etc…
7) how do you deal with people who cause you pain, have taken away your happiness and most times it always the people closest to us who manage to give us pain. But if we think from their perspective after having dealt with our pain, they themselves don’t know what they are doing, for they are driven by their own blind faith and series and so how can you not forgive them because to their knowledge that’s all that they know.
indy3000 said...
Om Shanti shanti shanti!
Banaras is a poetry on celluloid. It can not be judged. It can either be connected to and experienced or simply ignored.
I find it hilarious that if we all detest the movie why bother writing about it?
Does the message disturb our elementry understanding of life? And if does, may be we need to stop judging and begin reflecting rather than attacking each other.
10:59 PM
Aranyi said...
Dear Anonymous and Indy3000,
It's a nice concept, granted. It's an exquisite movie visually, granted that also. It's just that the movie has so obviously been made for the layperson that it's a bit insulting to the avergae person's intelligence. Our values, and Hindi movies in general, teach one to respect one's parents and realise that even their mistakes are a result of their wishes for our well-being, however skewed they may be by their own perceptions.
We have been taught from childhood about karma, about the fruits of our actions, defending the right path, and faith. I don't know about miracles but we know they do occur too. And it's not the first time it's been shown in films. We also know that people rarely seek a highter Truth of their own accord, and the path is usually revealed to them only after great distress. Of course we'd like to believe that those we love never die, unless we decide to kill them in our memories. Of course only when we make peace with ourselves can we make peace with others. Of course we're all looking higher, though very few people actually even come close to realisation.
My objection to the movie is that it doesnt say anything new. This caste nonsense is still going on. There was no move to talk about stopping the social evils prevalent in Banaras, such as the casteism, smuggling, conniving.
What was Sohum's purpose? Only to help Shwetambhari realise her true destiny as a teacher? Was there no way she could live on in the world with fortitude and grace? Did she have to remain single forever? Hindi movies like to idealise and idolise love. Its sweet and nostalgic in this era, but still.
I havent read the books you have mentioned but my mother has and has raved about them. Maybe its because I'm still young, or because Ive already thought about most of these things.
9:43 AM
swana76 said... I do appreciate your outlook. Infact what questions you have raised is exactly what this movie wants you to ask and realise any change you want to make it only your within and outside follows.
Yes it is a lay persons movie, but amazingly even they dont get it!! so whom is it for? thats why i essentially said that whomever can connect and realise that things and soo many philosphies have been put for us in a Folk tale for us to understand it more and make it more relatable to our life. Its like as kids we were told the Rabbit & torotise story? the crow story.. ,, spiderone...why for the mesaage behind. infact now we laugh at these stories but if you remember it as kids they did make a difference.....
so even i laughed the first time at the movie, slowly it started sinking into me and more when i left for home and walked it was like certian dialogues started coming to me... and so i have now watched it for the 3rd time...and will again do so more, cause I know there is so much more there... i have been talking to many people and its amazing their interpretations. I put it soemwhat like a 3D concept movie, very subtely done.... its a movie i think one needs also to watch alone and then go back to parents and ask.. if one doesnt get it, even then seek the truth through introspection... as for the dying thing.... Soham doesnt die... does he?? thats why for us visually they show us... at the last scene, like Babaji says the movie " Chetna ki Jaroort hain" well not chetan the girl lol bit introsepction ...
11:00 AM
Aranyi said...
Dear swana,
you are right of course, and no, you werent harsh at all! It was nice to hear a different perspective.
For me, and this is a personal opinion, besides the visuals, and maybe the song she sings as a kid and the holi one, there was no appeal. I came with low expectations, but ready and willing to enjoy the movie, and somehow nothing about the sialogues themselves, or even the delivery, appealed to me. I'd completely zone out, bored, because things just happened randomly. Unless the makers wanted to create the illusion of things being inexplicable. sohum didnt seem to have any quality to be chosen by the guru, or be gifted with the gyan of music, or to be loved by Urmila, or even to die. His death was more of a social message than a spiritual one, which only comes upon Urmila gradually after she finds his ring and spends time dealing with her anger and sense of betrayal. what was the point of showing naseeruddin as an immortal type of guru? to create belief? in what? in miracles? how does that make a person a better person? Isnt that the aim of spiritual awareness? Is it simply to bring what the makers deem the agnostic urban classes back into the fold of faith? What i DO like though is that there was more emphasis on spiritual faith than on that based on rites. Ill let you know if I think of anything more.
1:04 PM
swana76 said...
Dear Aranyi,
Thanks for your comments because I understand your view and possibly can add to my knowledge what I have understood.
Firstly I understood that it has been told to us in a very basic narrative format and I told you why.
You know what I am planning to do is write to the makers of the movie with all the questions which even I have. I will also put in yours too. And also I know many people who have loads of question particularly why did well as I told one friend thatthey have show clichéd scene of their meeting!! simply if they had spent 2 hours getting to tell us how they met it would have anyways there was lots in the story that one unravels when ONEbeen Hum Tum! QUESTIONS IT . that’s what is amazing about the movie. For last week I have been questioning everybody and to be honest so many answers I have discovered is also through them and mine too and ofcourse it made sense when it connected to me. I plan to see the movie again this weekend.
To your questions:
somehow nothing about the sialogues themselves, or even the delivery, appealed to me.
This might be possibly due to very shudh hindi they spoke! Well probably their dvd with English subtitles should sell more since now days we have become Hinglish!!
I'd completely zone out, bored, because things just happened randomly.
That’s just reflection of our lives too!! Honestly our mind switches of when it is made to think , it prefers for everything to be spelled out since one doesn’t like to think that’s the way mind functions. I have slept through all my maths lectures cause I knew I cannot understand it!! And till am justdate I regret why didn’t put more effort trying to understand it!! telling you to the way everybodys mind functions.
Unless the makers wanted to create the illusion of things being inexplicable.
Inexplicable. Actually as I said I also didn’t understand many things but I realised all clues are there I had missed them so I went back to see it and this time concentrated especially on the dialogues….
I will put togther the clues they were giving us…. I had written this for my friends it’s kind of long……………….. bear with me
The reason I felt connected to this movie is because the makers of this movie has been as smart as they makers of sixth sense and matrix I quote again. I have gone and seen this movie twice now. Because starting from beginning Urmila says what” that why do we pray? When we are scared we create gods and then we pray” so does god exist? This has been very basic question of any spirituality. Continuing with the story she narrates , mind you she cannot be urmila of ek hasina this, she cannot be pinjar lady she is a spiritual teacher And why is she one? That’s essentially the story. She realized simply that she didn’t meet soham (Ashmit) by chance. It was the destiny. That Babaji (Nasser) talks of the seed in the beginning of the movie which eventually becomes a plant and gets passed on to whom? Urmila later on, surrogate enlightenment? Also I would think subtly it would let knows viewers that it is not coincidences that two people meet . There is a purpose to each moment that you live. ( for example you and me talking over this, why you are born to your parents and not mine? ) and also we connect not just share our experience but many times we live their lives through us. That’s why I say surrogate enlightenment. Also Soham knew that he will die, because if u recall Nasser warns soham that “ love is like a tree, u can water it and enjoy its fruits but if you try to see the root and from where the furit comes from you will uproot it. “ so basically enjoy your time with her and she has her destiny to work out. Later on the only time she meets babaji with soham ( parallel to matric where neo meeting oracle, who says its all in your mind etc.. if you remember that story) babaji tells Ashmit “ tum ab sab kuch jan sakte ho” meaning you know everything now etc.. and urmila walks she what does she says :” that I have this hidden fear inside “ ek dar sa laga rahte hain” meaning she can feel that something is happening but cannot fathom it again reference to matrix and neos questioning of his fears.
Soham puts the mala ( the Rudraksh around shetwambari and they show a complacement tear soham sheds again implying he knows that she will not realize this dream of making house with him as opposed to the shetwambri dancing in his courtyard.
Next he comes and leaves her and gives her the plant??? Why?? And says bas I cannot go more” again hidden clues people!! And walks away.with that look.he knows her mom will get him killed. But as I said this is a mystical spiritual story….
Later on she ofcourse goes through pain like any normal person goes when they loose somebody. But if u recall they show that after the song she is well again and says she wants to start going back to college. And they show that she discovers something because of which she goes mad.. well…. Ofcourse people she realizes that her mother killed her love!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That’s why she goes mad!!!!!! And they show her in that red wedding dress and replies to the inspector that I wish I had married u, soham wouldn’t have been killed and I killed him ….. again people clue….
Obviously as I said before makers of this film have kept subtlety and lot of our minds and imagination to take over. She is battling all this emotion of her mother being the killer (they also show her laughing hysterically when they report in newspaper that soham was killed by thieves….again clues………………)
Then walks in the psychiatrist who is like all of us he knows only the science world and ofcourse shewtambri discovers that babji never existed ( well here to my review I said yoganad because that’s a very famous basic spiritual book Autobiography of a Yogi by Yoganand) where he gives major refernce to everliving babaji who roams banaras…
This book has been a milestone in the history of spiritually and higest selling and translated in 14 foreign languages because it is the first book of its kind where they have complied all the spiritually aspects of the human life. I wont get in to that book) anyways coming back to the story that’s why I said yoganand rocks…
So in reeks to shewtambri the realization of her life and destiny and the psychiatrist brush with mysticism again very nicely done. If u watch body language of the parents raj babar and dimple, u can see Dimples guilt (like Lady macbeth) she is always fidgeting, they also show her disapproval in the holi song, when urmila returns from Sarnath (the place where Buddha gave his first sermon after enlightenment and where wow amazing done soham also gets is enlightenment) to us they show Raj babar very close to his daughter loves her very much, but yet somewhere he wants to keep in the societies norms. So he is a father torn between these two. They show he and that villain ( the cousin) above suspicion when the former confronts the first. Anyways the biggest CLUE of ALL
When urmila overhears her father saying” that they were putting pressure on soham to leave her and pretending to get them married” urmila says “ YOU TOO” aap bhi?? That’s means we are told that obviously she understands that mother was involved but to hear her father whom she loved soooooooooo much ( they have repeatedly established that) confessing not to murder but to not accepting the marriage) this she cannot take it. So finally they show her turned into a world spiritual teacher , obviously with all these experience who wouldn’t!! retuning home and she tells her father I didn’t go away because I hated you but because I loved you soo much and couldn’t see guilt filled eyes of my father?? And that she will always love him. That is pure raw pain without our melodrama of devdas or black etc. and eventually they show dimple throwing herself in ganges due to guilt of what she did to her family, her daughter, her husband….and urmila saves her because she is enlighten enough to know that by now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And by her jumping in ganges shows her salvation………………………. And universal truth we follow that any criminal who seeks salvation is forgiven….. simple truth and finally dimple confesses that nobody ever knew not even her husband…………… I mean if you think about it neither did urmila tell her father??? And ofcourse towards end they show urmila subtle power over having attained enlightment when she makes dimple see soham. Etc. I hope now it makes sense to you all, that’s why in my review I had written it makes you think and think and think………………..everything has been put for a viewers interpretation and that’s why I said that could be its negative point, to me its an intellectuals masterpiece, but then again some friends of minehave discussed this movie and we realize we educated people are so again blocked by the conditioning around we don’t want to really believe, sometimes it’s the uneducated who can see right there!! The helper of my house saw it!!!!!!!!! That’s why I said it’s a believers movie…….
I can now understand why this movie has not got great response and especially from critics, because this movie is simply ahead of its time and I know you guys might feel what the hell I am talking, but considering I am 30 and as I age I find I don’t know answers to anything of my life.. I realized the significance of this movie. So am sure I tell all of you give yourself couple of years and see this movie again.
To why urmila and all those superb star why they did it “ well I think from what I have read interviews about them, and the age they are at they all realized the significance of story. In today Bombay times Shobbha de ( I don’t know if you know about her) she has given full marks to Dimple for having done this movie.
Essentially if it does connect it is to tell us the above all in this age tolerance, forgiveness and accepting each other is the need of hour when all round us people live in fear and are attacking each other, which comes from fear and again because of all the relgion differences we see all around, though I know we in side don’t feel that but because out of fear we create division and call them gods and take them as a symbol to defend and fight over.. I refer , to all our politicians our media etc. who makes us live in their ego centric created illusionary world and never know our neighbors. So that’s why I said hatss off to the makers of the movie. They have said all this SO beatuficually and you might all ask me why Banaras not any other city. Well because J Krishnamurthy, Kabir, Tulsidas, yoganagd, Buddha etc all went to Banars… so this place is not great because they all went there but because this place is great that’s why they came here….............................................
I thank you for having questioned me because it made me also realise so many aspects of the movie after i again thought over it. thats why i suppose repeadtly over all the interviews etc they kept saying it has layers and layers and i am sure over the years as with the movie matrix i keep unraveling soemthing new to it. i will do too. as they say in the promo" truth that will change you life forever"
sohum didnt seem to have any quality to be chosen by the guru, or be gifted with the gyan of music, or to be loved by Urmila, or even to die.
Well Soham or anybody need not have any quality to be loved, love is not conditional…. It just exists within you can simply feel it within you and that’s what even Shewtambri understood…
The time will come
When, with elation,
You will greet yourself arriving
At your own door, in your own mirror,
And each will smile at the other’s welcome,
And say, sit here, Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine, Give Bread. Give back your heart
To itself, to the stranger who has loved you
All your life, whom you ignored
For another, who knows you heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
The photographs, the desperate notes,
Peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit Feast on your life….
3:04 PM
Aranyi said...
Dear Swana76,
Thank you for your comments. I did miss out teh Sohum-Shwetambhari birth-death dialoguse because I was getting really restless because of Ashmit patel's woodenness and lack of Hindi inflection. Spiritual people are supposed to induce peace, not sleep!
Yes, Dimple's and Raj's role was great, it showed that what parents think is right isn't always, as it is marred by prejudice, but that either way, destiny catches up on one no matter what.
You are right though, what permeates society most is fear - fear of censor, of disapproval, of non-conforming, that prevents many from truly realising themselves. Especially when young people think that those who are attempting to find themselves or make peace with the cosmos are old-fashioned or uncool. People think too much, instead of just BEING (and this includes me). Im glad you're so passionate about this topic
Saying Soham died ………
Reminds me of the devotional movies my grandparents used to watch : a devout guy goes through many hardships but keeps praying to god and in the end he sees god (this is what people call awakening of the kundali or gaining nirvana) and dies.
I used to feel so bad ‘ he saw god but still he died’ Wasn’t I naive ,after you have achieved that “thing” there is no reason to keep existing in physical form.
Why did she have to stay single for ever……….
That’s a very microscopic prospective of the situation
What did she loose the guy (only in physical form)
What did she gain ? EVERYTHING !!!!! IT !!!! the “thing for which spirits roam this earth remember??
People say there is nothing “new” in the movie?
If there is “one” “simple “ “truth” then whatever religion you follow, whichever philosophy you read, whether Yognanda, Kabir, Buddha , or Dr. Brain Weiss ALL boil down to the same “old” thing.
People say it cannot teach you nothing new
I say give it a second chance . I was saying the same thing to myself before I saw the movie.(he he he)
Hey a googly question “Soham did not have any quality to be chosen by the guru”
All I can say is the very “fact” that he got “seeked-out” by the god-man says it ALL about Soham. I mean did he have to walk on water ,or preach on the Ghats to be “DIVINE”?
(OK its struck me the simplicity of Soham and moderness of Shweta teach us that you don’t have to be different/gifted to be spiritual (you don’t have to be a psychic healer, well versed in ved’s etc..) A modern girl in tight clothes can “get there”,just like modern girls of modern cities are blogging on the net discussing spirituality.
Soham’s death being a social message rather than a spiritual one
WOW!!! Swana’s layer thing comes into play .u can take it as a spiritual message , you can take it as a social one.
They do highlight in the movie “jis ki rahi bhavna jaisi…..” I am sorry I don’t know what it means but I have been interpreting it as “whatever your level of evolution /understanding ; same message you get out of a thing.
Point in showing babaji as immortal….
Okay ill ponder over this one.
Clichéd scenes of their meeting……….
Well………
About sialogues and messages:
Well cant read the Vedas Upanishads………(Hindu philosophy does get cumbersome sometimes) so whenever I want to learn something new ill go back to the movie and try and decipher the preaching.
Like the Da Vinci Code …layers and layers,messages and codes all leaping out at you:
Clues and subplots leap out at me, I wanna stop them cause my brain cannot process them all at once
• At one level it’s the story of a daughters devout love for her father ,her God who can do no wrong
• At another level it can be a murder mystery a WHO DUNNIT? Was it her cousin ,was it the religious leader, was it the inspector…
• Hidden codes : thers a situation of “et you Brutus “ ..shweta says “papa aap bhi??
• Dimple : swana is already calling her Lady Macbeth
• As swana says the “seed” being passed on is nothing but enlightenment (okay this interpretation gave me Goosebumps, another layer)
• Did you see the narrow street Soham walks down in the beginning,it’s the same street they take him back on his reverse journey,back to the Ghats he goes where his story started.(goosebumps,symbolic)
• Shweta asks the question what is the truth in the beginning and leaves it there…it gets answered when she goes to babaji’s shrine. The first part of the lecture do we pray because we are scared?? Babaji asks soham the same thing??/…ill have to watch again for the answer. (okay my mind has gone in an infinite loop)
• WOW swana babjis lecture to soham means that……(“ so basically enjoy your time with her and she has her destiny to work out ) (loop)
• Sheta says ek daar laga rehta hai..n babaji says “you have the power to overcome that fear” I take it to mean I see in you the capability to attain…..
• Soham isn’t the name of a person it’s an experience….. no one can live without soham
• Soham meaning of this word says a lot
• I cannot go beyond this point……” got that the first time lol
• Shweta “shweta killed him”
• One day ill try and understand what she says to the psychiatrist “ a change of place does not change the state of your emotions”(point to ponder)
• She forgave her mother much earlier ,yet she flees at her fathers small mistake WHY???? (may be thers another reason here she had already evolved but she had to share the knowledge with the world, also thers another layer of her being closer to her father…)
• Another thing I read on another blog “a peacock is supposed to be a bad omen yet it brings good to SOHAM why???
• Swana jumping in ganga her salvation WOW!!!!thanks
There are a billion messages in this film sometimes I wish they would stop leaping out at me, sometimes I wish I could understand them all.
Did you catch the “NEW “ thing in the movie. Our philosophy has always taught of “abstenance” and heretic life but here divine soham is encouragedto love……….teaches us that TWO can walk the path both helping each other.
Divine Soham craving for human love gives me a satisfaction I don’t know why.
About the uneducated getting it,im so jealous of them . its so easy for them ,to sing on the roads to undertake the pilgrimage of “kanwar” .the intellectual of the society wont be caught dead singing at jagrans or in the tempels(I thing the movie says this point when it says: the truth is not in your confused rationality)
Soham attaing nirvana at Sarnath is to me the most touching. I am jealous of soham and shweta(here comes my fav word again) on the verge of passing out of the university of spirituality , and me still trying to get into 2nd standard. MILES TO GO………………….
Who is this guy L C Singh ??????? I have never believed in touching peoples feet ,but promos of the movie say “it will change what you believe in” LOL
crappy movie and a crappy blog, too.
Hi Meeta,
Sorry I have not replied to earlier as I said I would bee watching the movie again and I did and will write my experince. Also I realise this is one of those movies which either connects or does'nt and yest its a waste trying to talking to people who dont and yet they waste hours writing blogs as to how much they hate .... it makes me wonder how much this movie really disturbs people and they express their fear by rejecting it...and expressing that its another lesson which the movie teaches "FEAR" babji to Soham " Puja mein prem bhaut jarrori" when we pray in fear is it puja? and ofcourse one can question the defination of Puja :) anyways there are definately more and more layers which i did discover again and this time also why many people couldnt connect to it and why many laughed at it. Ofcourse it also my own personal mystery of life about peoples reaction...
I also mean to write properly on my own blog and kwill also post on yours the other reviews of people who seem to have connected as much...
Peoples negative reaction is a good thing it got u writing something that helped you and others understand the movie better, made me discover new things.
Another thing is, as a “movie” people will soon stop commenting on it .(so non believers will soon phase out)
But as an experience it will go on as an endless discussion (wont /cant call it a debate).Though im sadened by the fate of the movie, all the positive ‘peoples review’ all over the net has made me happy. So thers already a mad rush for its music CD?? .Even I cant wait for its DVD to release.
Ya its really funny, I mean I wouldn’t go about reading reviews to movies like say sawaan,let alone comment on them. yet something about banaras makes people search blogs ,find out the lunatics connecting to it and…well ur fear thing might be the reason.
There was once a bunch of loonies
A smart guy pointed at them and said”you are a bunch of loonies u need to “get a life”
Did it effect the loonies??? NO! They continued their discussion
BUT what does it tell us about the “smart man”??
P.S. another thing i read was that the music is akin to BANARAS gharan. and they say they show kabir's house in it. ALL that the movie says about BANARAS the city ....will be another layer to depicher .........
so , any views on what that "simple" truth is????
i hope what the da vinci code has done for the west Banaras does for us. but thers a diffrence . while dvc raises many questions Banaras just reaffirms and re-teaches our beliefs (lets call it knowledge not belief)
if have used the word desprate im very wrong the only thing i have felt after this movie is PEACE. yes it has started our quest but it dosent raise any questions in my mind that make me restless.
One more thing did you notice, while shweta prays in the temples ,soham is never shown praying in that sense. his path is a little diffrent :just a reflection on hindu philiosphy..should i say ..there are various paths......
here are some more points....
soham giving mala to shweta is both solmanising the marraige and also hes passing on his siddhi to her
on another site i read someone compare babaji to kalaki avtaar
sweta gives up singing cause "koi inspiration nahi mila" yet unknown to her she served as inspiration to soham ....
you have spoken of books in one's destiny .....just as all philosphies say the same simple truth ,people who connect to this movie will speak the same language . i wrote a chronology of books i read (offline) and used the same language as you did.
autobiography of a yogi ,i bought a few years ago but someone said its tough to read so never turned a page ,now thanks to your info i'll be reading it soon (yet people will not see any purpose,destiny,reason..in why things happen and when they happpen
thanks indy for your comments .i was searching for your blog on the movie and am unable to find it . every person evry comment on this movie is precious to me, so please keep posting . why cant we make our blogs the 'platforms' of discussion on this movie and this subject. Of COURSE IT IS NOT WITHOUT A reason that this movie has come in to our lives. somewhere i read ,just like medicine is given to children with sweet ,this movie is all philosophies said in a sweet , simple way.I'll buy the DVD as soon as it gets available ,and just like daily prayers ill watch it once a day(he he he)
and guys ...,indy swana others please please write somethin here everyday lets hare our thoughts lets learn new things . i keep thinking of new things to write and then get 'rationa' dont want to appear over-over enthusiastic ,but fact is i am ! this movie has become a part of my life
india3000 said...
I am amazed how people feel insulted when the movie says " truth is simple". Are we so stupid that we judge content by the complexity of words?
When s seed is said to be a connection between God and the world and being taught to a child, why is an "inellectual" feeling insulted?
Does the simple language in any way reduces the meaning of the truth?
This is what happened when Tulsidas wrote Ramayana in local Awadhi language. The Sanscrit scholars thought it to be below their dignity even to comment upon it..
Centuries later who is remembered?
Tusidas or those utter fearful Pundits?
Sweta means white and ambar means cloth. So Swetambari means a woman who wears white. In general a Sanyasin.
I thought Soham means sound of life with you. after serching I found an interesting link we can visit this for meaning of Soham
http://www.meditationiseasy.com/mCorner/techniques/soham.htm
rgds
yourblogger
holikabhai.blogspot.com
A recent review of Banaras in the INDUS AGE, Sydney
BANÂRAS – A Mystic Love Story
by
Ashwini
Sydney
Every once in a while a breath of fresh air blows through the portals of Bollywood: An inspired producer like LC Singh emerges who has visions beyond the titillating, violence packed, senseless concoctions that are constantly being churned out to feed the masses and reap in the profits.
BANARAS – A Mystic Love Story is one such inspiration.
Is BANARAS a documentary? Is it an art film? Is it a regular commercial film? Questions run rife in the minds of the cinemagoers who know not what to expect in a film titled BANARAS. Pankuj Parasher (the Director) has beautifully created an offering which spans several genres.
Yes – BANARAS is an art film. The heavy infusion of philosophy and spiritualism marks BANARAS apart from regular love stories. The film is challenging to viewers who are accustomed to an established pattern of story telling. The film caters to a small segment of the population (the educated urbanite who can rise above the travails of everyday life and look beyond and within oneself).
Yes – BANARAS is a commercial film. The love story is told differently and yet the film has its full quota of music, dance, romance, suspence, emotions and violence – even though the latter is only in the minds and words of the characters and not depicted with blood and gore. The toe – tapping Holi number will definitely be included in all future Holi celebrations!
Yes – BANARAS is a documentary – the film that captures the aura of the holiest of Indian cities with such reverence and takes you into the habitats of Tulsidas, Kabir and Buddha and shows the River Ganges in its myriad moods can rival any dedicated documentary on the city.
With the help of seasoned actors like Urmila Matondkar, Naseeruddin Shah, Raj Babbar, Dimple Kapadia and Akash Khurana, the Director unfolds the love story of Shwetambari (Urmila) a modern day science student and Soham (played by Ashmit Patel) a music teacher and a person with a mystic purpose to existence. Philosophy is very heavily dished out in the first half and the story meanders at a slow pace which may faze many a non-believer or those who prefer action on screen. But for those who appreciate this (I am one of them), those who are treading new realms and watch in awe and those who plain endure it, the second half has suspense packed twists and turns which grip your attention and take you to a different plane altogether.
The message of faith, spirituality, compassion and forgiveness which the film tries to put across has a Universal audience – there is no race, religion or language barrier and everyone in the world can identify with what is being said.
Urmila has given an awesome performance while Ashmit who was chosen for his ‘innocent’ looks, looks just that – innocent and quite vague in his expression. Wonder if this is what the Director wanted of him? Naseeruddin Shah, Raj Babbar and Dimple Kapadia live up to our expectations but it is the lesser known stars who in my opinion have given remarkable performances.
Akash Khurana as the Psychiatrist from Boston suffering from lung cancer with his racking cough, and pain and suffering in his eyes was my favourite.
Arif Zakaria as Inspector Satyapal has a miniscule role but emotes very well in the two crucial scenes of breaking ‘the’ news to Shwetambari and in the awkward confrontation with the accusing heroine.
Rajeev Mishra as the designated villain without as much as laying a hand on another, makes the audience fearful through the portrayal of the sheer intensity of his anger and sense of revenge.
A review of the film cannot be written without mention of the magic of the photography by Neerav Shah. He of course is very fortunate to have had the Ganges as a backdrop to almost 75 percent of the scenes – the mesmerising orange hued water at dawn, the peaceful greens and blues during the day and the mysterious awe inspiring darkness at night catching the reflection of the city’s lights along the Ghats.
The highly hummable songs set to the music of Himesh Reshammiya along classical lines have an enduring allure – my six year old is the best proof of the success of the music as he repeatedly asks to listen to ‘Om Nama Shivayya’ as also my 16 year old (who is in the ‘I listen only to pop music’ stage!) who has BANARAS songs on his MP3 player!
BANARAS is the fore-runner of a newly created genre in Indian cinema –
Art for the masses!
My rating ****
hey how mean poor ashmit !(he he) this is the first and last movie ill see of his but for this movie he was the best choice! thank god they didnt take some commercial hero . and i can understand what he means when he says i was chosen because of my eyes and hair . so true!
swana i think ashmit's character resembles maybe the piper or i dont know but it has relevance . do you know why i praise ashmit and not urmila raj and dimple cause the least that was expected of them was to be 'brilliant' and thats what they were but who would expect nething of ashmit??(he he he lol)
another thing i read mr sings interview as to why commercial actors were chosen : for mass appeal so that it dosent become a documentary/art film. WHAT A GREAT THOUGHT
There a many stories interwowen in the movie. these are stories uyou have read somewhere, heard of...and they are so beautifully interwoven that it looks like one story abot the simple truth.
• the story of a conman whose one encounter with soham changes him,so to fulfill his last promise to him,he will cross many seas.
• the story of a rationalist who does not believe,then why come to this land?he was cured. was it faith healing? was it a miracle?
• the story of a daughters love for her father. the daughter trusts her father for everything her and her father will do anything for her.
• the story of a couple who were blessed with a child when they had given up hope(is there a hidden story here haven’t we read endless stories of childless couples being blessed with extraordinary children?)
• the story of banaras city which once made a girl flee and now the same city welcomes her and hails her as devi
• dimple killing soham is so ironic its funny( i am reminded of a book title 'death of vishnu)What is religion but a path to the divine and when
you follow that path (or what you understand of it) blindly and kill;who are you killing but God himself.
and those people who cant get a spiritual message out of banaras ,why cant they get a social messsage that ,by your madness you ended up destroying your whole family.(wonder when the realisation comes to her? its not there when they are caught confessing by shweta)
MESSAGES
Shweta says in the begining does the river know where it will flow and what all will it encounter; she is saying does anyone know where fate will lead and who all we will meet? yet some people ask what was soham's purpose only to help shweta well i think yes and no there is a reason he met her but he has his own life to live and destiny to work out.
why was babaji shown to be immortal CAUSE IT HAPPENS !!! cant be a simpler answer !
people are seeing the same character playing science teacher and music teacher as a connection between science and god.
music as a connection between the two . dont experts say dance and music are like sadhna of god?
when the non believer comes into her life shweta is not that evolved only when she reasons with the rationalist ,she learns the truth about babaji and her faith grows (just like when swana reasoned with someone i learned new layers to the movie)
anyone thinks thers a mesage here too? That one should discuss with rationalist??
Your observations are really profound. What can I say?
I am glad there are people who have seen what I saw in the film.
I did ask a question from the writer and his reply bowled me over. There is possibly far more in the script than we have yet seen.
Pity we can't recognise a precious gift handed ove to us.
I agree there are places where things are over done. But i was glad to see that the director has dared to take up something so abstract and package it into mainstream cinema
hi hari thanks for visiting. hey there are comments cut n pasted here . i certainly dont think things were over done in the movie.
infact , after reading all the criticsm (ok i admit there can b some points that could b improved eg ashmit trying to dance in d holi song was a true eyesore !)
i have been thinking that maybe if they had done a little bit this ,improved a little bit there and maybe added a few more a's in banaras or maybe a few "k's here and there.....(he he he) and maybe sugarcoated the dialogues.....
BUT no! why should a 'philosophy' change to adjust to people . people should change and grow up n see banaras for what it is.
Hi Meeta,
I can understand your thought. What you mean is the Philosophy should not be changed. I can fully understand that, I respect that opinion and it is my opinion as well. But I think we need to understand the common people. The intellectual capacity of an average person is not that much. It is not that they don't have intelligence. They have intelligence and potential, but the shells of ignorance cover their self and they cannot experience what we people may be able to observe. Their eyes are not knoledged as many people who read these words. But they are simple souls. They may be ignorant, but good at heart.
It is the duty of the enlighted people to show the way to the ignorant. The whole idea of philosophy is to show the way for the less enlightened people. Asathoma Sadgamaya...
Mrithyoma amrithum gamaya....
And in this context, I have to say that when we give the entire philosophy at a stretch, it may be not digestable for the common man. Eventhough we explained it in the simplest way, the volume is more to their brains to keep in and their memmory may be short lived. So, I am of the opinion that when we intend some message to give to common people, it should be told in the simplest way, in their language and one take at a time.
Hey, you people may have different opinion.
What is it???
Hi,
Thanks Swana.
Yes, I am thankful to "Banaras" for giving me a window by which I can see you people's view, discuss and debate.
I can agree on your comment that this is a dilemma for everybody, who think more than 2 times about one thing. Surely Soham undergone through that stage.
Since I am Christian, I can show you a similar situation from the life of Jesus.
Jesus knows that that night he will be picked by the army, he will be judged and he has to die. For him, it was his duty. But he had the pain of separating from the disciples and the people. He could run away from that place. He didn't run away. Nor he give to the army and gave his hands. He gone to an isolated place in the vally of Gadsamen hills and praying with his fellow workers. When he prays, he know that he has no choice. In a way he knows that it is his destiny. Still he prayes his father (Ths super intelligence), father, why you gave this bitter drink to me. If possible, take this away. If not possible, give me the courage to face it. Eventhough it is not my wish, your wish be done.
It is surely the same dilema of Soham.
I can easily identify those 2 situations as similar.
Jesus was the master in solving philosophical puzzles in the simplest way. If he had this dilema, no wonder we all have it.
Eyes are those which have knowledge. If your eyes do not have knowledge, it is like a wound. Said by Thiruvalluvar.
The knowledge is attainable by different forms and "open" debate is a good opportunity to get knowledge, which can lead us to wisdom.
Hey, If I continue typing, I can type to any extend.
But I would like to hear more than I speak. It is better listen, eventhough I can speak. Isn't it?
Thanks,
Paul
hey paul me pal ,it givess me immense pleasure to say that you are completely wrong!.
banaras as we have all agreed has its own destiny and it will slowly reach each n every person that it means to reach ,infact everybody for whom this movie was created and not just right now :INDEFINATELY!!
the people for whom this movie was created ...its slowly reaching there. u have heard the rabbit n hare story na??
hey swan,dept. just check!
http://cosmic-verity.blogspot.com/
http://diatomist.blogspot.com/
hey paul dont mind just pullin ur leg n pls lets stop thankin each other.
I found the movie a moving, shaking and deep one. I wish to see it again and again.
Hi Meeta,
Where are you located? I will come there right now and kill you. Take my word for that. Hmmm..... Lol.
Hey, I also fully agree to disagree with you.
As I not much believe in destiny, unless it is changeable by us, I think the destiny of Banaras as a movie was destined by the people who made it. And I believe it was meant for all the people and not only the elite group of high intellectuals. About the Rabbit and Tortoise story (I am sure I spelled it wrongly), it is my opinion that we should not go slowly when we are capable of going fast.
Remember the Rabits of modern age not sleep.
Evil also not sleep.
I can agree that Banaras may reach to many people time by time. But had the movie has made with little more care on the sweeter side of it, the message would have reached faster.
Now, Mr. Singh said there is a novel coming justifying the charecters. It is a welcome initiative.
However, I thought if Mr. Sigh could make another movie with same message, but with a stronger storyline connected to it.
Hmmmm.... Now who is coming to tear me to part?
Hi Swana,
Hey, You look like a person who like compromise. However, thanks to your comments.
It is good to identify with people like you.
It is not a bad number now. Right?
Hi Swahila,
Welcome to the discussions. I just visited your blog and it is nicely done.
I have added one comment on one of the discussioins as well.
See you again.
The Links given by Meeta are good. Have a visit to the links.
It was also nice to see Mr. Singh and to know that he is the CEO of a famous IT company. It gives more respect, when a person who is engaged in business do such good works, it need more than an applaude.
Thanks Meeta for the discussion! I started seeing this movie last Saturday and as I wrote in my blog, saw it 3 times during the weekend. I found it to be magical…Still not able to give a explanation for its impact on me, immediately I wanted my friends to see it, and wanted to know what people feel about it…as I expected, it was not ranked between 0-10 instead its ranked 0 or 10.
I am practicing vipassana meditation for few years, when I go to the meditation center for 10days; the people’s feedback about the 10days course is always 0 or 10. Some go for the mediation again and again or they just run away from the center before the course completion. Spiritual things are like this, it’s just like blind man feeling an elephant.
Most of the movies are just an entertainment for our five senses, but this one is something more than that, touches the soul, but who expected to have fun with other senses might have left with disappointment!
What I feel as highlight of this movie are listed below (may be contradictory to others comments.)
1. The love between ‘spiritually’ advanced soham and an intellectual swetha is depicted very very naturally, Thanks to the writer for not adding the commercial ‘love chemistry’ and ‘love biology’ in their love and just keeping it a Mystical love. When a spiritual and intellectual person falls in love it can be nothing less then mystical.
2. The next highlighting feature in the movie is the way people react to this Mystic love. Each character in the movie, beautifully express their views and opinions about this mystic love, no wonder most of the characters in the movie is not able to realize the depth of their love, (so as the most of the confused viewers.) Only people like babaji, and few compassionate people are able to accept this love, people who are soaked in the worldly things, and filled with prejudices (about love, religion etc) can’t appreciated the mystic love (both in the movie and in the reality)!
3. Finally, How Intellectuals react to this ignorance?, handle them with compassion and just give them time to heal and realize their ignorance!
I can say this is the short Philosophical summary of the movie, the rest of magical experience can’t be put in words!
Uma,
You have put it very well.
Hi Swan,
Appreciate your comments. Eventhough I can agree that we cannot swim than in the surface (I even don't know that), I cannot agree that the depth of the sea is indefinite.
With imagination you can reach there.
I have a feeling that we are all mirrors of Super Intelligence. Some yellow mirrors, some green. Some small mirrors, some big. Some cut mirrors, some mirrors in water. Different mirrors reflect one and the same, but depending of the side and distance, the mirror can be big or small and which side is reflected etc. all decided.
When you are sitting now, in your chair, and if you are thinking of something else, you may not be reading these words, but simply staring at it. Reason? When you are thinking/dreaming, you are not where you are sitting. But where/what you are dreaming. So, you are where your mind is.
If so, you can swim in the sea. You can reach the depth of the sea with imagination.
Hey, next time, when I sit to type any message, I will tie my legs with the chair, so that meets don't pull my legs. Hey, don't pull the chair please...
Hi Paul,
Sorry, in this discussion, I can’t agree your argument totally. Swana is right in saying that “what we know is 1% and there are huge amount of things undiscovered” ! I don’t understand the use of reaching the depth of the sea with our imagination. We are talking about the (‘truth’ of ) reality and to see/ feel /comprehend the things as it is (I guess that’s the knowledge) . I don’t think any color mirror nor can imagination will help us . Once you have an imagination and image of something, that locks you in exploring the reality, and sometimes when the image becomes strong, we refuse to see the reality, in the fear that reality may damage the image which we have.
Just for instance, when we meet someone new, we try to judge the person and try to put them in a imaginary relationship, based on relationship we had/have, like my brother or like friend or lover etc. then we start interacting with that person with that image in our mind. But one day we realize that in reality, he is far away from the image you had of that person, which will leave you in an immense pain. It’s not the mistake of the person that he didn’t not behave like your brother/friend/lover; it’s just our mistake of imagining him as brother/friend/lover. If we had explored that person with out an image, he ‘might’ have been just an wonderful person, with out hurting you.
Swana you are right, we are ignorant, we don’t know even 1% of our self and need to explore the infinity, but there is no need to know what happening at the end point (which is infinity) the good place to start is where we are and what we do, just to see as we are and our immediate surrounding. I guess there is no need to know the depth of the ocean by imagination, if we just start exploring our self and the surrounding as it is, and just having a thought in mind that what we see and feel is a small fraction of the infinite world, just that thought will keep us in exploring more and keep going ….
Uma.....
Now it is your turn to pull my leg!!!
I was lucky today, I just tied my legs to the chair in fear of Meeta pulling my legs. So, I escaped this accident. lol.
Hey, first of all I have to admit the mirror concept is little more separate than the sea adventure. You see, I am typing these words in a stretch and if something is coming to my mind, the fingers are giving letters to it. So, the mirror part is entirely a different thought. Sorry to confuse you with my poor english and fast typing. What I mean is, we are reflections of the Super Intelligence. That is a separate point altogether.
Now regarding the sea adventure, I have to say I have no reservation in accepting that we only know 1% of the knowledge. I know I will not have even 0.00000000000000000000000001 percent of knowledge. But, I cannot sit and repent on that. I have to move forward. When I am in this world, it is only say 120 or 150 years. Not more than that. (Of cource I mean inthe physical shape and human nature). But I am only to a 0.0000000000000000000000000000000001 percent of the time of the universe here. So, I have no repending on that. What I will try to do is do best at whatever I can. What left is upto time. In the limited time, in the limited physical body and a minute part of Super Intelligence, I think I will fly to the sun, I will swim to the deep of the water, I will sleep in the stars (a night in one). I will smell different flowers. I will walk different ways. As I believe this physical extension is only to observe whatever I can and experience, store the information, try to improve it (if possible). I don't want to jump into a well and lay there helplessly. I don't want to stay in one sea and forget about the rest. There are different rivers, different sea and different worlds. I need to go everywhere, because I am only one. So, I believe nobody can stop me from my imaginations. Hey, right now I can imagine your foreheads, angry at me!!!!
Of cource, I don't expect everybody to admit my opinion. Because, if everybody is accepting that means I didn't said anything new or I might have said one thing very very very very clear. For the first case, I don't want to be one and the second case, I am not the one I know.
Hmmmmmm... This also, I typed in last 10 minutes, before running home after work. I thought of replying tomorrow, but thought, tomorrow is too late.
Have a good day friends!!!
HMM we all have reached the same conclusion . i think that swahilyas profile says the same thing . (was once a seeker of the truth of existence. Now I find that it is just where I am and I am with it.)
LOOK within.
"the kingdom of heaven is within", to know god first know yourself!
btw would like to point out in a book KIM by rudyard kilpin and also in paulo cohelo . the main protagonist goes on a journey in search of something( the fountain of youth ,alchemist gold, the holy grail,shang ri la are all metaphors for it)and their quest ends exactly at the same spot it started.
but the 'journey' is important
this is as far as i have understood anyone would like to elaborate?
Hi Swan,
I know I am answering few with literal meaning. But don't think that I don't understand what do you mean. I fully understand what do you mean. For this time, it was not difficult. But I think you people fail to understand what I mean.
when you say 1% of knowledge, I know you don't mean it is simple 1%. When you say, the example of the sea I know it is only to example the cause. But I was exampling the same, but you people thought I am reversing the example.
Sometimes I go too literal. Some times I go too imaginative. What to do? When I say I only know only say 0.0000000000000000000000000001 percent of knowledge, it was literal. It is a fact as well, if you think. I can explain.
when we boast we have 1% knowledge, we do not know we don't have even 0.001% knowledge. I will tell you how.
There are more than million books published. How many books we read? 10,000? 20,000? Out of this, how many books we remember now? Out of these books, how many parts we remember completely?
Take another example, how many people we met? How many people we talk? Say 3 lakhs, 4 lakhs? But there are about 700 crores of people at this point of time. There were millions of crores before and will be millions after.
These are all examples.
Ok, admit these are literal examples.
In a way, I am admitting that we do not have a complete knowledge. Isn't it?
Also I am telling a truth, i.e., we cannot reach all the places and enjoy all the happiness. Correct?
Some wish to stay around. I wish to fly around.
Hmmmmmmm.......
It is difficult to convince. Isn't it?
I can imagine... Hey, paul, stop your imagination and come to mother earth!
Hi Meeta,
I didn't read Rudiyard Kippling. But I read the Alchemist. It is true that "The Kingdom of Heaven is Within". Also it is true that you have to see god in "Poor".
Alchemist tells you that the journey is important. Also press you to learn from symbols. The Alchemist Gold is within you. What you find in its search, you will get it.
But to see yourself, you have to look outside!!!
swana its quiet here cause this has become the space for decoding messages and your blog is space for other-related discussion (which is more happening)
Hi Meeta,
I think you like travelling a lot. Lol...
Hey, why the people who were there earlier in the discussion is not there in the present discussions?
he he he guys, u know y i leave comments on ppls blog..who i know wont get it.....for 'others'who read to follow the link and make their own decisions ;)
I just wanna say that we can only teach thru example is all. All else is quite ephemeral. And there is a lot we can teach thru the example of our characters in film and the exemplification of their situations. But, surely there is no "We are higher and this is a technique we use to teach." That is quite an egoic though form. So the poster of that thought form, I apologize yet send you on your way to think about that some more.
Hey, when are you going to make another post?
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