Indian Missions / Posts abroad under the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) screens the short film ‘Sri Aurobindo: The Beginning of Spiritual Journey’ this Independence Day to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
Directed by award-winning Indian filmmaker Suraj Kumar, the short is based on a screenplay by Manish Kumar Pran. The film stars Vikrant Chauhan in the titular role.
The film is premiering by various Indian Mission abroad including, the Embassy of India, Paris, India in UK, CGI Birmingham, Switzerland, Colombia & Ecuador, Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO and Bahrain on 15th August 2022.
The short film, based on Sri Aurobindo Ghose’s prison life (1908-1909) was shot in Alipore Jail, Kolkata, from where his spiritual journey has started. Sri Aurobindo was arrested for conspiracy on 5th May 1908 and spent a full year in Alipore jail while the British Government, in a protracted court trial tried to implicate him in various revolutionary activities. It came to be known as Alipore Bomb Case. He was finally acquitted and released on 6th May 1909.
Independence Day 2022 also marks 150 years of Sri Aurobindo, who was born on 15th August, 1872, which makes the short film becomes even more special.
The film puts spotlight on an important chapter of Sri Aurobindo’s journey that often gets overlooked when one talks about his exemplary life and work.
Sharing his thoughts about the film, Suraj Kumar said, “While Sri Aurbindo Ghose was lodged in jail, his spiritual transformation started just after 2-3 days of prison life. My short film ‘Sri Aurobindo: The Beginning of Spiritual Journey’ documents his beginning of spiritual journey in Alipore jail.”
Speaking about the film’s conception, Kumar added, “The idea of making the short cropped up when one of my IIMC friends and prison reformer Dr. Vartika Nanda discussed it with me, back in early 2021. Subsequently, I visited the National Library of India in Kolkata to document and record the news articles published related to Sri Aurobindo’s imprisonment.”
‘Sri Aurobindo: The Beginning of Spiritual Journey’ will be screened in various schools and colleges all across the country over the next one year.