| Prem Sanyas (The Light of Asia) | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Seeta Devi andHimanshu Rai in the film | |
| Directed by | Franz Osten Himansu Rai |
| Written by | Edwin Arnold (story) Niranjan Pal (screenplay) |
| Produced by | Great Eastern Film Corporation Münchner Lichtspielkunst AG |
| Starring | Seeta Devi Himansu Rai Sarada Ukil |
| Cinematography | Willi Kiermeier andJosef Wirsching. |
| Music by | Hansheinrich Dransmann |
| Distributed by | Münchner Lichtspielkunst AG Great Eastern Film Corporation |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 97 min |
| Countries | Weimar Republic India |
Prem Sanyas (The Light of Asia) (Die Leuchte Asiens in German) is a 1925 silent film, directed byFranz Osten andHimansu Rai. It was adapted from the book,The Light of Asia (1879) inverse, byEdwin Arnold, based on the life of PrinceSiddhartha Gautama, who foundedBuddhism by becoming the Buddha or the "Enlightened one".
The film was an Indo-European co-production,[1] with German technicians and Indian actors, and it managed to steer clear of the usual exotic depiction of Indian culture favoured by western filmmakers up until then. It was made with the cooperation of theMaharajah ofJaipur and contained a cast of thousands. Shooting took place inLahore, in what is nowPakistan, where the set decoration was created byDevika Rani, the wife of actor/directorHimanshu Rai and a noted actress herself. The film was released in the US by the Film Arts Guild on 11 May 1928.
.jpg)
A tale fromIndia about the origin of the Buddha,Prem Sanyas depicts the story of Prince Siddhartha Gautama (portrayed by directorHimansu Rai), the man who became the Buddha, as he journeys from privilege and seclusion to awareness of the inevitability of life's suffering, finally renouncing his kingdom to seek enlightenment.
The film was restored byArte, and released in 2001.[2]
