An appreciation for Banaras

I would like to share with you, a letter that I received today from Steve Spraitzar (California USA), a person, not personally known to me, who saw Banaras, and wrote to me asking for this blog’s url. He now writes me another letter, which I thought of sharing with you.

"Dear Mr Singh,

Thank you for providing to me the name of your blog. When I looked through the blog, I was amazed at how much material there is on your blog. Also, the way it is written clearly shows that it is a labor of love.

When I first saw your movie, I thought that you were fortunate to be able to get Urmila Motandkar, Ashmit Patel and Naseeruddin Shah. However, after seeing it the second time, I had different reaction. I thought, how fortunate were these actors to be a part of Banaras. I hope that in your blog, you will be able to include some reactions of your actors in working on your movie. I recall the emotional times that Ashmit Patel had in his hotel room after shooting the scenes where the Buddha crossed the river. Perhaps there are other moments that you could include.

My hunch about your film is that it will grow in greater popularity as time passes. The film “It’s a wonderful Life”, starring Jimmy Stewart and directed by Frank Capra, did not do well when it was released in 1948. However, as the years passed, the time-enduring values of the themes of the movie struck a chord with the public, and for many years, it has been probably the number one film shown during the Christmas season. It is my prediction that the same type of endearment with the public will happen with Banaras.

On another topic, I thought you might enjoy a DVD that was recently released on a towering spiritual figure who had some of his major work in your area, Avatar Meher Baba. He was born and went to school in Pune, and his Samadhi is located in Meherabad, close to Ahmednagar. The DVD gives a good synopsis of his life and the tremendous scope of his life’s work.

My best to you, your company, and your family.

Sincerely,

Steve Spraitzar"

I would like to humbly thank Steve for making the effort to write his appreciation for the movie and my blog. On such times as this, I consider myself blessed to discover the connections in our world.
I take Steve’s suggestions and would share other actors/ technicians experiences while shooting in Banaras.