Hrisikesh movie:A global revival of Srila Prabhupada and Gaudiya Siddhanta?

[krsna]

Srila Prabhupada Coming To The Silver Screen

 

BY EX ORIENTE LUX

 

USA, Mar 5 (VNN) — HRISIKESH - The Motion Picture of Life Times

 

The extra-ordinary life story of Srila Prabhupada disciple Hrisikesa dasa is set for the Silver Screen. The 600 page pre-production Script is completed and Asia's Pacific Film Works (20th Century Fox) has given the green light. The 6th Sense director M. Night Shyamalan is under consideration to direct the movie, which will be filmed on location using local production services in California, London, Nepal, India, Thailand, and Bali.

 

In the movie, tentatively named Hrisikesh, His Divine Grace is a major character. Srila Prabhupada may be played by famous Indian actor, Amrish Puri (who looks very much like Srila Prabhupada). Ben Kingsley may play HDG Srila Bon Maharaj. Josh Hartnett is under consideration to play Hrisikesh. Within two years the movie may be seen on main line cinemas around the globe. Featured in this movie are reincarnation, Krishna consciousness, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Bon Maharaj, Gaudiya Vaishnava Ashram life, Gaudiya siddhanta (mostly question and answer), the subplot of tug-of-war between Srila Prabhupada and Srila Bon Maharaj is also a feature. It is also a Rock 'n' Roll movie about The Misunderstood, it is a fugitive - escape movie, it is a culture shock movie, it is a war movie, and it is a thriller!!!

 

First he gets murdered, then his adventure begins: This movie begins in 1947 with Hrisikesh as an 80 year old sadhu getting shot during partition riots and then reborn in America as Richard Shaw-Brown. It features Hrisikesh as a rock 'n' roll star fugitive meeting devotees in San Francisco (1967) and becoming a disciple of Srila Prabhupada; it also features the philosophy of Lord Chaitanya, and the early days of the Hare Krishna Movement, also featured will be Vrindavan, and Mount Govardhan, and Varshana, and Nandagram, and Jaipur, and Karoli, and Delhi, and Bombay, and swinging 60s London, the extraordinarily great band, The Misunderstood, and it's unfair plight and super music, and exotic Bali; also the VN draft and Boot Camp (with Uncle Sam demonized as the Devil and Vietnam war as hell), state of the art technology will be used to create FX reincarnation scenes that will be a roller-coaster ride for the viewers, Shyamasundar & Mukunda Maharaj are chief characters, as is Srila Krishna Das Babaji; it is also a Katmandu movie, a 1967 Summer of Love hippy movie, and an ANTI-WAR MOVIE! It is a story of East meets West.

 

To read a synopsis click http://www.hrisikesh.net/Synopsis.htm Richard Shaw Brown, who co-wrote the screenplay, will be a consultant in several countries to help with the story boards and other details of costumes, procedures, etc.

 

This is a 1st for Srila Prabhupada himself to be featured in a big budget Hollywood movie. And on the pretext of telling Hrisikesa's story, Lord Krishna's philosophy is revealed. Password holders are welcome to download the entire script as a pdf.file before it goes beyond pre-production and a line producer breaks it up into lighting script, cameras script, sets script, costumes script, above and below the line actors scripts, make up script, locations script, etc. This film should be a BIG boost for Gaudiya Vaishnavism, and help make Srila Prabhupada much more famous. Just as Mel Gibsons's Passion is reviving so much interest in Christ, so hrisikesh can create a global revival of Srila Prabhupada and Gaudiya Siddhanta.

 

For more information visit the official site at http://www.hrisikesh.net

[Guest guest]

" the subplot of tug-of-war between Srila Prabhupada and Srila Bon Maharaj"

 

surely we have not any need of this...

[gHari]

 

Was this the same original-eleven guru fellow on whose behalf the Russian Mafia extorted a million big ones out of Srila Gopal Krishna Maharaja and ISKCON by threatening to injure senior devotees if their demands were not met a few years ago when the guru got all sexy and left the movement?

 

 

[Guest guest]

Ghari,

 

They are not the same person. Hrsikesa was a devotee who received harinama from Srila Prabhupada, then received gayatri and sannyasa mantras from Vana Maharaja. he later returned to ISKCON.

 

Harikesa was the "guru" who is now preaching "three out of four regs" in his own little mission outside ISKCON.

[Dervish]

Ben Kingsley may play HDG Srila Bon Maharaj.

 

These are Ben Kingsley's screen credits, as well as a list of roles he is slated to play all the way up until the year 2007.

 

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001426/

 

Nothing about playing Srila Bhakti Hridaya Bon Maharaj. /images/graemlins/frown.gif Is he even aware of this role?

 

Personally I'd be very interested in seeing a movie about Srila Prabhupad and the movement, but I fear that the inevitable Hollywood or Bollywood spin will inevitably lead to some serious sadhu-ninda.

 

What about the Krishna cartoon planned by an Indian animation studio? I hope it's done tastefully. Has anyone ever seen Japanese anime? I've heard some of that can get very vulgar. If they can do a Krishna cartoon but in a very tasteful way meant for children and family but beautifully and artfully done, this would be an amazing contribution.

[gHari]

Thank you for reminding me, Guest.

 

[Govindaram]

 

Hare Krishna

 

I hope ppls know who Amrish Puri is (Hindi actor) famous for his role as Mr.Mogambo (Mr India)..

 

Mogambo kush huwa (I am happy) was his catchprase in the film, just after he tried to bomb India!

 

Jeez!

[Guest guest]

He was even the Kali-worshipping-evil-villian in Indiana Jones the Temple of Doom.

[Govindaram]

 

I saw that film 5 times, thinking i was doing devotional service by watching it. (just kdding)

 

Though I think that Guy who played Gandi is a good actor, just my opinion.

[Dervish]

OMG I want to be in this movie so bad. I want to be dancing devotee #16

[Govindaram]

 

I shall be cow#108, its a good role, though I don't look much like a cow.

[Guest guest]

Ghari Prabhuji

 

Among us, at least you please read the script as u can best judge what can be done here ? If this movie is good it could be good for preaching our gaudiya vaishnava movement ...

 

I read the script. To me it does looks ok, but might spark another round of sadhu ninda.

 

Maybe we can somehow e mail him to include the passing away scnene of both our dear Srila Prabhupada and also Srila Vana Maharaj wherein both at their last physical moments have tears of love and apprceciation for each others missions and also seek blessings and forgiveness respectively. That is a fact recorded in history.

 

What do you think ?

[stonehearted]

It's noteworthy, I think, that Kingsley's imdb note doesn't include this. I remember hearing years ago that am acquaintance of mine, Charuhasa, was going to produce a big-time Hollywood Ramayana, with big-name actors. What eventually happened is generally regarded as a poor joke.

 

I share concerns about possiblity of sadhu-ninda. The fold puttiing up the money would have final say in everything, and I'm wary of the spin they would give, especially with the "tug of war" between the two gurus. Hrishikesha's take on what happened is diferrent from Prabhupada's, which I heard about in the early '70s from devotees who had lived in Vrindavan. Also, I have ahard time getting excited about a movie in which Srila Prabhupada is a supporting character. Seems like a way for Hrishikesha to promote himself and make some bucks in the meantime.

[Guest guest]

I feel Hrishikesh will not present a proper picture of Gaudiya Vaishnavism or Srila Prabhupada.

 

I wonder if he will include the event where, on his death bed, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur rejected Bon Maharaj as his disciple.

 

In Srila Sridhar Maharaj's exact words, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur told Bon Maharaj, "you never knew me; you never met me". Of course this would have been spoken in Bengali, but anyway, the words were spoken. The reason for this rejection? Bon Maharaj used to like to promote himself. Which is what Hrishikesh seems to do too. I try and try and try to be sympathetic to people who I do not agree with, such as individuals like Hrishikesh who have doubts that Srila Prabhupada had attained realization of his siddha deha. But in the end it is hard to tolerate their ideas, and like Vrtrsura rising from the yajna I come out as a red-faced monster and breathe my words of fire. Such is my life.

 

Will Hrishikesh find me a role as Vrtrasura in his story? I wanna be a burning star.

 

- m. das

[Dervish]

 

"Get me an advance copy of Hrsikesh the movie!"

 

----

 

"This movie begins in 1947 with Hrisikesh as an 80 year old sadhu getting shot during partition riots and then reborn in America as Richard Shaw-Brown."

 

Whooooaaaa ...

 

So does anyone think that any movie based on the Hare Krishna movement could succeed and be non-offensive? I would hope so. It seems that this film is trying to do too much, between making a vietnam statement ("It is an anti-war movie!") and being spiritual. Forrest Gump meets Gandhi, meets true spirituality might sound like a great ideal, but from what I know about all this, not so sure it will work.

 

Between rumors of this film, big budget Ramayana, big budget Mahabharata, and quality Krishna cartoons, there seems to be much excitement, but no confirmation of any substance thus far /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[Guest guest]

For those interested to download the entire pre-production movie script can do so by clicking...

http://www.hrisikesh.net/misunderstood.pdf

 

NOTE: Srila Prabhupada & Srila Vana Maharaj are supporting characters because the movie is not about them. There is no commercial plot concering their life stories.

 

Why is the movie getting made? Because Srila Prabhupada wants to be in a REAL movie seen by the masses. It shows the whole process of KC and the teachings of LC from the point of view of an aspiring disciple.

 

There is no apparent aparadha in the screenplay that is not settled nicely. I personally only hope that FOX doesn't cut too much KC from the script (which is now 558 pages - including detailed scene descriptions necessary for production).

 

There is actual top level talk about making a Hrisikesh II that would fictionize the previous sadhu birth, and at the same time run together with the POST freedom, POST Iskcon Hrsikesh (much like Godfather II).

 

If anyone is wondering why Pacific Film Works is making this movie? It is because it involves a REAL band story, like NO other, and a rock star, robbed of success, forced in Army, escapes, meets Srila Prabhupad, gets caught, escapes, goes to India, stays with Vana Maharaj almost 7 years, leaves Vana Maharaj because of the jati-buddhi association of Iskcon devotees, returns to HDG,

get s turned in by Vana Mj, flees to Nepal, involved in secret ruby mine, discovers Planetary Gemology, get blackmailed, has 100 close calls, gets saved by Lord Krishna every time, and finally gets it all cleared up. But this is all AFTER he gets murdered in graphic violence in Indian riots of 1947 and reborn using dig. tec. that will SHOW how reincarnation works. That's how it starts. BANG!!!

 

IN OTHER WORDS, THEY ARE MAKING THE MOVIE FOR MONEY! They are business men. They know a commercial story and they realize what a great band the Misunderstood were with all the music to be used in the film. And among business men, especially in the movie business, they see no harm in doing businesses, like movies, and making money. In fact: It's a pretty old concept. It's called "business" - the SHOW must go on!

 

Hare Krishna!!!

 

Y/s,

Hrsikesananda das (Hrisikesh)

[Guest guest]

" the subplot of tug-of-war between Srila Prabhupada and Srila Bon Maharaj"

 

and

 

"I wonder if he will include the event where, on his death bed, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur rejected Bon Maharaj as his disciple. "

 

we definitely do not need anything like that, we must respect prabhupada, his godbrothers, and the relationship between them. We have no knowledge to understand their dealings, nor the general public

 

the result will be that vaishnava's society will be taken as materialistic

[Guest guest]

The Movie "Hrisikesh" will not feature Paramahansa Srimad B.S. Saraswati Prabhupada as a character (except by name). In the movie, Prabhupada (called "Swamiji" in the screenplay), refers to ACBSP.

 

Tug-of-war between two BIG* Gurus!?? That is commercial for sure!!! Any way it's a sub-sub plot in this story.

 

This movie is not targeting the tiny global population of Iskcon people. This movie is intended as a commercial venture aimed at the masses.

 

If you want to read the screenplay just click the link given in the posts above.

 

But ALL the screenplay will not get used; even all the shooting will not get used.

 

Ben Kingsley is "Under Consideration" at this point. And if the money is good he will jump at the chance. Amrish Puri (also under-consideration) is a top notch Indian actor who looks very similar to Srila Prabhupada, and will follow the script - where in Srila Prabhupada is portrayed as he was.

 

In the screenplay "Iskcon" is never referred to by that name, rather, "the Hare Krishnas"

 

If anyone views the Hare Krishnas as looking bad (at all) in the film plot, then maybe they were. It is (mostly) a true story.

 

Pray this movie hits BIG. Otherwise Christ might beat Krishna at the box office.

 

Hare Krishna!!!

 

Y/s,

Hrsikesananda das

 

*If anyone thinks that Bon Maharaj is not a BIG GURU then how is it that he has thousands of initiated disciples like ACBSP!?? I read the expert opinions above by kids who never even got within one million miles of BSSP and his disciples...3rd - 4th - 5th hand gossip of the washer women - otherwise known as Hati Mata in the case of born Vaishnava life-long Sannyasi Srila Bon Maharaj who also left his body in Sridham Vrindavan.

[Guest guest]

Bon Maharaj?

 

While lying on his deathbed Prabhupad said:

 

You never met me. You never saw me.

 

- thus spoke the Guardian of Devotion, who was there.

[Guest guest]

Guardian of Devotion? Who? What? Where? If U were NOT there then it is all jati-buddhi. What do U understand of Lord Krishna, BSSP, Srila Bon Maharaj, and their relationship??? What is your experience to cast such evil words?

[Guest guest]

Vande gurun isha bhaktan

 

From Jan. 1968 I lived continuously for 6.5 years with the 3rd direct sannyasi disciple and very close intimate servitor of Srila Sarasvati Prabhupada, named Tridandi Swami Bhakti Hridaya Vana Maharaj. He was also Prabhupada's most famous preacher and he dedicated his entire celibate life to the personal service and mission of his Gurudev. Sripad Vana Maharaj spent LOTS of private time with Saraswati Prabhupada and he remembered many personal incidents in the life of Prabhupada, some of which he described to me over my years at his feet in Sridham Vrindavan. All of the stories were unique and I would like to relate four of them...

 

On one occasion Sripad Vana Maharaj was alone with Saraswati Thakura on the roof of the Calcutta Gaudiya Math during a cloudy night. Vana Maharaj noticed that Prabhupada remained silent and was looking up at the night sky for a very long period. Swami Vana was worried that his Gurudev would strain his neck so he asked his Guru why he continued to look at the night sky? The great Prabhupada replied that he had looked up and seen a star and that he must find and see another star before looking down. With his head up he explained to Vana Maharaj that if you see the Moon or any single star in the sky it is important that you must see another star before looking down again. To fail to do so would bring ill-fortune.

 

 

Another similar example. Srila Sarasvati Prabhupada believed that to see the Moon on the 4th day after Purnima would bring blame and accusations against anyone who did so. He personally told Vana Maharaj that Lord Krishna had once seen the 4th day waning Moon while residing in Dvaraka and this was the real reason why Krishna got falsely accused of stealing the Syamantaka ruby.

 

 

Prabhupada Sarasvati Thakura was unpopular with the Smarta Brahmins and other Sanskrit scholars who he ridiculed for their mundane ideas. So a plot was hatched to humiliate Prabhupada. Although Prabhupada was a great scholar, still he was not specifically a Sanskrit expert in the academic sense. So an assembly of Sanskrit experts was planned and Srila Sarasvati Prabhupada was invited to debate his philosophy with them IN SANSKRIT LANGUAGE. At the appointed time Prabhupada arrived with a large number of his disciples and they took their seats together. Among his disciples was an exceptionally gifted Sanskrit expert holding a Ph.D. with honors, although none of the Smartas was aware of this. The sabha was convenied and a powerful Smarta leader stood up and addressed Prabhupada, in very advanced extempore Sanskrit, and after offering his arguments for almost one hour he triumphantly took his seat, sure that he had stumped the controversial Acharya.

 

 

A silence then fell over the learned assembly and all eyes (and ears) were on the grave looking Sarasvati Thakura who simply cast an almost imperceptible glance at his expert Sanskrit disciple. This junior disciple, then a brahmacari, immediately stood up, and in the greatest display of Sanskrit scholarship, which Swami Vana Maharaj said was inspired by Lord Hari Himself, he completely astonished the entire assemble with his philosophical counter arguments in unparalleled extempore Sanskrit. Then, after Prabhupada's disciple had devastated the antagonists and refuted all their arguments from memory, a great hush hung over the Sabha as Prabhupada, followed by his devotees (including Sripad Vana Maharaj), simply walked out in complete victory. Such was the power of Prabhupada that he was victorious without even opening his lotus-like mouth.

 

 

Once while residing in the Calcutta Gaudiya Matha, Srila Sarasvati Thakura was deathly ill and bed-ridden. In the room serving him were some of his leading sannyasi's including Srila Vana Maharaj. The devotees were at their wits end how to help, and so they finally pleaded with their Gurudeva asking him what to do to relieve his suffering. Finally the great Prabhupada opened his eyes and begged them in a choked voice to please bring Kunja Dha (Kunja Vihari Dasa was later named Tridandi Swami Bhakti Vilas Tirtha Maharaj). At that time Kunja Dha was working at the Calcutta post office to help raise money for his Gurudeva's preaching. (In fact, it was Kunja Dha who met Srila Saraswati Thakura while he was a bhajan-anandi and helped him to come out and start preaching. He also helped Srila Saraswati Thakura carry the corpse of Srila Gaura Kishore Das Babaji Maharaj to the current samadhi in Mayapura). A devotee was sent to bring Kunja Dha, who immediately left his duties at the post office and returned to the Math. As soon as Kunja Dha entered the sick room of Srila Saraswati Thakura, the great Acarya sat up with opened arms. Kunja Dha ran into the arms of his Gurudeva who embraced him tightly. The other devotees (including Vana Maharaj) were astounded to see the face of their Lion Guru resting on the shoulder of Kunja Dha with profuse tears pouring from his eyes onto the body of Kunja Vihari Das. And Kunja Vihari Prabhu was also weeping and trembling as he hugged his great master. This tearful embrace lasted what seemed like a long time. And after that Srila Saraswati Thakura was better.

[Guest guest]

I lived 6.5 years with Srila Bon Maharaj, and every year, without fail, Paramahansa Srila Krishna Das Babaji Maharaj, who had more Prema than all his godbrothers put together, and who was loved by ALL his godbrothers, including Srila BVSwami Prabhupada. Prabhupada personally told me to my face in Mayapur in 1973 that Babaji Maharaj was a maha-siddha-purusa/ BHAJANANANDI.

 

If Srila Bon Maharaj was an offender at the feet of his life long spiritual master, whom he served from age 23 until 81 when he left his body in Vrindavan, then WHY did a siddha purusa like Babaji Maharaj, worshipped even by HDG ACBSP, come to reside 6 months of EVERY year I was there, as guest of his very BEST friend, Srila Bon Maharaj. Tell us WHY this is the case? And how should Babaji Maharaj think if he hears such gutter-ninda as spoken in the message by an unknown (probably former mletcha) against his dear Gurubhai Srila Bon Maharaj? I saw them for more than a total of 3 years living together, and Babaji Maharaj would use the cave room under ground in Bon Maharaj's Bhajan Kutir that was used for years of bhajan by Srila Bon Maharaj.

 

I don't think "unknown" realizes the GRAVITY of your offensive mentality. How should Bon Mj's 5000+ Indian disciples, all expert pukka devotees, feel to read such cruel words against their Guru tattva?

They would you feel like you if some one said, that on BSSP's deathbed - it was like, AC who? Or another jati buddhi example, to say that prabhupada spent all his youth in producing less-than-divine off-spring and finally gets rejected by his own wife (who knows him better than anyone) in favor or a cup of tea!?

HOW DOES THAT "ANGLE" SOUND? Well it sounds the SAME to the disciples of Srila Bon Maharaj and other fixed up spiritual masters who are spoken of in such jati-buddhi and offensive manner. SHAME! Dukriya!!

 

Stop being the enemy of the SELF!!!

[Guest guest]

All glories to Srila Vana Maharaja!

 

Muralidhara loves to blast nearly every acharya except his own. Ironic, since Srila Sridhara Maharaja, a pure devotee himself, was subjected to so much ninda by Western devotees during the early to mid-eighties. Murli has no grasp whatsoever on the pastimes between the disciples of Srila Bhatisiddanta Saraswati Prabhupada Thakur. He has a website dedicated to Srila Sridhara Maharaja, with hundreds of lectures and books, but only 2 essays, and they are both blasphemous papers slandering one of the dearmost disciples of Srila Bhakti Prajnana Keshava Maharaja. His entire website is poison, just as milk becomes poison when touched by the lips of a serpent.

 

Srila Sridhara Maharaja was reknowned for reconciling apparent differences and contradictions. Unfortunately, his disciples and granddisciples are unable and unwilling to follow in his footsteps.

 

All glories to Srila Vana Maharaja! Mr. Brown, I hope your movie is hugely successful. Please do not let the kali-chelas disturb you. They have been around for some time and will no doubt continue to spew their scumlike venom.

 

----ds

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

 

He [bon Maharaja] was also Prabhupada's most famous preacher...

 

 

Sure...

 

Paramahansa Srila Krishna Das Babaji Maharaj, who had more Prema than all his godbrothers put together

 

 

Who are you to judge the amount of prema amongst siddha devotees? Such statements make you look foolish. Neophytes have no scope to measure the transcendental love of the siddha-bhaktas.

 

It's one thing to say one thinks someone to be a pure devotee, its another to make the absurd claim that one can measure and compare the prema amongst siddha bhaktas.

[gHari]

Hrsikesananda Prabhu,

 

Sounds like it will make us all happy. Best of luck. Signing your post like that tells me we can expect a happy ending from Hrisikesh.

 

gHari