The Light of Asia

Overview

Living an indolent life in a luxurious palace, Prince Gautama (Rai) is insulated by his family from the harshness of the world outside. But he is destined to learn greater truths: shocked to discover the pain and suffering of so many in his kingdom, he abandons his privileged existence, and his wife Gopa (Seeta Devi), to become a wandering teacher, eventually finding enlightenment and founding Buddhism. Featuring superimposed images and deep-focus shots that were highly impressive for the time, Light of Asia astutely combines a deeply felt spirituality with the surefire attraction of Indian exotica, which helped make it a considerable success in Europe.

Details

Status

Released

Release date

October 22, 1925

Original language

Hindi

Countries

Germany, India

Production

Himansu Rai Film,Münchner Lichtspielkunst AG (Emelka),Great Eastern Film Corporation

Cast

Sundar Rajam,Sarada Ukil,Rani Bala,Mrinalini Devi,Modhu Bose,Sunalini Devi,Himansu Rai,Prafulla Roy,Seeta Devi,Sushil Ghoshand 1 more

Director

Himansu Rai,Franz Osten

Writer

Edwin Arnold,Niranjan Pal

Producer

Himansu Rai

Cinematography

Willi Kiermeier,Josef Wirsching

Music

Hansheinrich Dransmann

Budget

Not recorded

Revenue

Not recorded

IMDb

tt0016240