The Figure of Varanasi in Cinema and Literature: A Comparative Analysis of the Film “Verso Benares” and Pierre Loti’s Work “L’Inde (sans les Anglais)“
Varanasi, also known as Benares, is a city in India that has been a significant subject in both cinema and literature.1 This article aims to explore the portrayal of Varanasi in these two mediums, focusing on the film “Verso Benares“ and the publication by Pierre Loti, “L’Inde (sans les Anglais)“ (“India, Without the English”).
Cinematic Realism in “Verso Benares“
The Italian film “Verso Benares“ (2022) offers a raw and authentic view of Varanasi.2 It is a documentary that provides an unfiltered look into the city’s spiritual and daily life. The film does not follow a fictional protagonist but rather immerses viewers in the city’s bustling streets, its holy ghats, and the daily rituals of its inhabitants. It captures the city’s spiritual and cultural richness while also showing its poverty and hardships, presenting a stark, unembellished reality that contrasts sharply with a Westernized view of a “spiritual journey.”3 Through its objective lens, the film reveals the mystical not as a fantasy, but as an integral and inseparable part of the city’s vibrant, lived experience.
The Romantic Lens of Pierre Loti
On the other hand, the French writer Pierre Loti presents a more romanticized and subjective view of Varanasi in his 1903 publication, “L’Inde (sans les Anglais)“.4 While the title directly references India, the Ganges River and Varanasi are central to his account. Loti describes the city as a “city of light,” filled with “enchanting beauty” and “divine mystery.”5 His writing emphasizes the spiritual significance of Varanasi, but also its exotic allure, painting a picture of a city that is both sacred and seductive.6 Loti’s portrayal is filtered through a lens of personal melancholy and a search for an ancient spirituality that he felt was lost in the modern West. He is a romantic visitor seeking to experience and document the “other,” but ultimately remaining an outsider.
A Shared Theme, Different Perspectives
Despite the differences in their approaches—one a modern documentary striving for authenticity, the other a turn-of-the-century literary work rooted in romanticism—both “Verso Benares“ and L’Inde (sans les Anglais) share a common theme: the spiritual quest that draws individuals to Varanasi. In the film, this quest is shown through the actions of the city’s residents and visitors, while in Loti’s book, the writer’s own journey is the primary focus. Both works also highlight the contrast between the Western search for spiritual fulfillment and the integrated, daily spiritual life of the city, underscoring how this sacred place remains a powerful mirror for the anxieties and longings of the Western soul.