''Banaras: A Mystic Love Story'' is the name of an Indian

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

-language

musical drama film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serv ...

directed by

Pankaj Parashar Pankuj Parashar is an Indian film and television director. Among his most-known are police-thriller ''Jalwa'' (1987) starring Naseeruddin Shah, ''ChaalBaaz'' (1989), and television detective series ''Karamchand'' (1985). He also makes televisio ...

released in 2006. The film takes place in the

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

holy city of

Varanasi Varanasi (, also Benares, Banaras ) or Kashi, is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.* * * * The city has a syncretic tradition of I ...

(the city, once known as Banaras, serves as a destination for the pilgrimage of millions of Hindu worshippers annually) and is centered on the relationship of a young woman with her parents and her lover. It is the journey of a woman seeking answers to the mysteries of the human psyche, love, fear, life and death.

Plot

A young woman, Shwetambari is the daughter of wealthy parents, Mahendranath and Gayatri Devi, respectively, studies at a university in the city. She falls in love with a low-caste mystic named Soham. Soham, after one meditative session, is illumined by Babaji, his mentor, and decides there is no harm in falling in love with the girl from the high-caste

Brahmin Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...

family. This creates a citywide scandal. Shwetambari's parents initially object but eventually support the relationship, despite the objections of orthodox elements. The orthodox elements of society discourage the relationship actively, driving Shwetambari to depression. She eventually finds salvation in her religious beliefs. Eventually, when she discovers her own mother caused the murder of her fiancé, a disheartened Shwetambari leaves the city. 17 years later, Shwetambari, now a philosopher and religious scholar, is torn between returning to her beloved city of Varanasi to see her dying father and avoiding all the unpleasantness associated with her inter-caste liaison of the past. She returns, which creates turbulence in the mindscape of her so-called self-realized being. There are more spiritual surprises and uncoverings at the end of the movie.

Soundtrack

The music was composed by Himesh Reshammiya with lyrics by Sameer. #Rang Daalo -

Shreya Ghoshal Shreya Ghoshal (; born 12 March 1984) is an Indian singer. Noted for her wide vocal range and versatility, she is one of the most prolific and influential singers of India. Often referred to as the "Queen of Dynamics'' for her remarkable voc ...

and Sonu Nigam #Yeh Hai Shaan Banaras Ki - Pt. Sanjeev Abhyankar. #Kitna Pyar Kartein Hain -

Alka Yagnik Alka Yagnik (born 20 March 1966) is an Indian playback singer who works predominantly in Hindi cinema. One of the most prominent singers of 1990s era Bollywood, she has received several accolades, including two National Film Awards, two Ben ...

#Ishq Mein Dilko -

Sunidhi Chauhan Sunidhi Chauhan (pronounced ; born Nidhi Chauhan, 14 August 1983) is an Indian playback singer. Known for her Bold vocal range, she has recorded songs for films in several Indian languages and List of awards and nominations received by Sunidhi ...

and Sonu Nigam (Part 1) #Baajuband Khul Khul Jaaye - Pranab Kumar Biswas #Purab Se - Shreya Ghoshal #Ishq Mein Dilko - Sunidhi Chauhan and Sonu Nigam (Part 2) #Kitna Pyar Kartein Hain - Himesh Reshammiya

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0449189, Banaras 2006 films 2000s Hindi-language films Films set in Uttar Pradesh Films shot in Mauritius Films shot in Uttar Pradesh Films scored by Himesh Reshammiya Films directed by Pankuj Parashar Films shot in Varanasi Films about Hinduism Films about the caste system in India Indian musical drama films