Prem Sanyas (1925)

This adaptation of Arnold's 1861 Orientalist epic opens with documentary shots of tourists in Bombay watching street performers. Then a white-bearded old man sitting under the bodhi tree ... See full summary »

Directors:

Franz Osten, Himansu Rai

Writers:

Edwin Arnold (story), Niranjan Pal

Stars:

Seeta Devi, Himansu Rai, Sarada Ukil

Cast

Credited cast:
Seeta Devi	...	Gopa
Himansu Rai	...	Gautama
Sarada Ukil	...	King Suddhodhana
Rani Bala	...	Queen Maya
Prafulla Roy	...	Devadatta
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Modhu Bose
Mrinalini Devi
Sunalini Devi
Sushil Ghosh
Sundar Rajam
Ekambi 'Wilhelm' Tongo

Storyline

This adaptation of Arnold's 1861 Orientalist epic opens with documentary shots of tourists in Bombay watching street performers. Then a white-bearded old man sitting under the bodhi tree tells the tourists the story of Gautama (Rai), son of King Suddodhana (Ukil) and Queen Maya (Bala), who left his consort Gopa (Seeta) and became a wandering teacher credited with founding Buddhism. The religious epic, with its idealized figures, takes up the narrative in flashback and ends with Gopa kneeling before Gautama asking to become his disciple.

Details

Country:

India Germany

Release Date:

11 May 1928 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Light of Asia

Filming Locations:

Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

Company Credits

Production Co:

Great Eastern Film Corporation, Himansu Rai Film, Münchner Lichtspielkunst AG (Emelka)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min 97 min (restored)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

East Meets West

Die Leuchte Asiens / Prem Sanyas, co-directed by a German and an Indian, exhibits a strange but fascinating hybrid between exoticism and authenticity.

It tells the very Indian tale of the life of Buddha, but as re-imagined by a British author (Edwin Arnold). It starts with a travelogue of India, which seems there to attract a European audience, but takes care to devote equal time to Muslim and Hindu holy sites, so as not to offend any locals. It attempts to enlighten us about an important Eastern religious figure, but makes sure to include plenty of palm trees, elephants and nubile young Hindi girls, all the trappings of Orientalism. It touches upon Buddhist philosophy, but with a decidedly Christian slant (It would be easy, for instance, to confuse the scene of Buddha teaching with the Sermon of the Mount).

Despite everything, it also has moments where it approaches the Sacred, where it glimpses, however fleetingly, something of the Mystery of Life.

At those moments, like all good Buddhist films, it manages to transcend its own duality.