Chronicle of the Fab Four's love of India. The film uses rare archival footage, photographs and eye-witness accounts, along with location shoots across the country to explore how the band gave up their celebrity lives in the West for a remote Himalayan ashram in search of spiritual bliss - a time that inspired an unprecedented burst of creative songwriting
Taking inspiration from his own book Across the Universe: the Beatles in India, Ajoy Bose co-directs this documentary about the Fab Four's adoption of and influence on Indian culture. As early as 1965, George Harrison had toyed with using the sitar on Norwegian Wood, and from there he sought out Ravi Shankar to master the instrument. The rest of the group joined him on a trip to Delhi the following year, but it wasn't until they fell into the orbit of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi that their Indian adventure really began. The weeks the group spent at the Maharishi's ashram in Rishikesh in early 1968 are fondly remembered by those who worked and meditated there, and the film blend luminous images of then and now to creative effect. Sadly, the Beatles themselves are consigned to archive audio and film, and rights issues prevent the use of their music to illustrate the stories that inspired such songs as Dear Prudence, The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill and, most notoriously, Sexy Sadie. Recent interviews with George's former wife Pattie add fresh first-hand insight, but ultimately it's the contributions from Indian journalists, musicians and fans that give this film a welcome new perspective.
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Director | Ajoy Bose |
| Co director | Peter Compton |
