Good Cinema a channel for Mass Education

Drawing a comparison of art and paintings commissioned by the Buddha- 2,500 years ago with the medium of cinema, Ven Geshe Dorji Damdul, Director of Tibet House said on the opening of the BODHIPATH Film Festival that visual art had always been a channel for education and information to the masses.

Speaking at the inauguration of a two-day festival, organised by the International Buddhist confederation, the Venerable, a Special Guest, explained that cinema was an extremely powerful tool to influence the public. “However, cinema also depicts the level of thinking of the public. Films will be made in accordance with the current thinking in society”, he added.

Ven Geshe Damdul mentioned that during the Buddha’s times, paintings were commissioned by Sakyamuni that showed his teachings and educated the public. The five senses in a person play an important role in absorbing the message. He further said that if the visuals are of ‘low level’, the society will be absorbing these, and therefore, we see a lot of crime, including cyber-crime prevalent these days. Similarly, conflicts, wars, climate disaster and mistrust will be the order of the day, he noted.

Professor Robert A.F. Thurman, an American Buddhist author and academic who is a Padma Shri and has written, edited, and translated several books on Tibetan Buddhism, on a brief visit to Delhi, took time off to speak at the festival. He shared insights into his latest book on Manjushri, a work in progress. In Mahayana Buddhism, Manjushri is a bodhisattva who represents great wisdom and enlightenment, the Professor mentioned. He enthralled the audience through interesting anecdotes and some personal experiences.

The world-renowned film personality from Hollywood and a practicing Buddhist, Richard Gere, who was also just passing through Delhi, recorded a message for the festival. He expressed that the Buddhist Film Festival was the best way to spread the teachings of the Buddha. He said that the festival provided “An exciting moment. It is a great opportunity to follow the path to Buddhism.” He conveyed his best wishes for the festival.

The Guest of Honour, Mr Chittaranjan Tripathy, Director, National School of Drama informed that in India the tradition of Natya Shastra went back more than 3,000 years. Buddhism had deep connections with Natya Shastra and the story telling format.

Providing examples from various elements of theatre, Mr Tripathy explained that the entire world was a theatre, a role -play was going on with costumes, and moods; with the backdrop of a huge montage. “The theatre too tells a story in their own way, in front of an audience, the difference is that in cinema it is played out on the screen,” he explained. With so much strife being played out on the world stage, Buddhist thoughts can lead us to a better world, he added.

In his Special Address, Mr Mohit Chauhan, the eminent playback singer explained how he practised compassion and Ahimsa in his personal life. Hailing from Himachal Pradesh, Buddhism held a special influence in his life, he said. He runs a home for stray animals and has over 400 of them under his care. He brought out his contribution as Mongolia’s cultural Ambassador towards enabling a deep cultural and spiritual connect between India and Mongolia.

Mr Gagan Malik, a prominent TV actor, who played the lead role in the Sri Lankan film, Sri Siddhartha Gautam enthralled the audience with his personal experiences in shooting for the epic. He is also well known for his roles as Lord Ram and Lord Shiv, and has a great fan following in a number of Buddhist nations, including Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

Another famous star, Mr Adil Hussain, of national and international fame for his films Life of Pi and The Reluctant Fundamentalists spoke passionately about cinema and how it had the power not only to shape the views of the audience, but the roles that he played as an actor had even impacted his own life, changing his perspective about the world.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Shartse Khensur Jangchup Choeden Rinpoche, Secretary General of IBC while blessing the festival with invocation, reflected that films were a powerful medium for diffusing information, ideology and widening horizons.

The Director General of IBC, Mr Abhijit Halder explained the concept of the festival and the range of films that were screened. These included a collection of classical films for the younger generation to catch up on and some from modern directors of India. To name a few The Cup, Geshe Ma is Born, the Kung Fu Nuns, Path of Compassion, Guru Padmasambhava. He mentioned that the legendary film on His Holiness the Dalai Lama, ‘Until Space Remains’ was also screened as this year commemorates the landmark birthday of His Holiness.

The International Buddhist Confederation’s first edition of ‘The Bodhipath Film Festival’ on 10-11 March 2025 also included four panel discussions involving personalities from varying backgrounds – from academicians to film producers and Directors to social media influencers and actors. The discussions revolved around various aspects of film making, including challenges faced in producing Buddhist films and mindful communication.

The Festival received overwhelming response from the young and old with large number of Monks and nuns from different Buddhist institutions as well as students from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication and the Gautam Buddha University attending the event.