Indian Missions abroad under the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) will be screening the short film ‘Sri Aurobindo: The Beginning of Spiritual Journey’ this Independence Day—today—to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo with Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
Today is the 150th birthday of one of the greatest philosophers and saints India has ever produced, Sri Aurobindo Ghose, who was also a renowned freedom fighter being accused of bombing a series of British nationals as a leader of Anushilan Samity, regarded by the British emperor as the “most dangerous terrorist organisation” in India then.
However, in Alipore central jail, while being accused of the Alipore conspiracy, he had a change of mind and became a philosopher and spiritual guru till his death in 1950 in Puducherry. The editor of the then infamous newspaper “Vande Mataram”, which was banned during the British Raj, was a scholar who hardly could write in Bengali as he was educated in English Medium schools in Darjeeling, Kolkata and then in England’s King’s College. In Darjeeling, at his school, he was the only native Bengali. But the man touted as a “terrorist” later, learned the Bengali language and became a master of the language.
Directed by award-winning Indian filmmaker Suraj Kumar, the short film is based on a screenplay by Manish Kumar Pran. The film stars Vikrant Chauhan in the titular role. The short film is, however, based on Sri Aurobindo Ghose’s prison life from 1908 to 1909. It was shot in Alipore Jail, Kolkata, from where his spiritual journey had 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.
The film puts the spotlight on an important chapter of Sri Aurobindo's journey that often gets overlooked when one talks about his exemplary life and work.
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 the beginning of his 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 year.
