The Hindu Mysticism in Contemporary Cinema: Films on the Eternal Waters of Benares
Benares, Varanasi, Kashi: a city of a thousand names and a singular, abyssal essence. It stands on the banks of the Ganges not merely as an agglomeration of stone, but as an immense mandala traced upon the water, a vortex of faith where time dissolves into the breath of Shiva. It is here, in this crucible of life, death, and incessant renewal, that Hindu mysticism finds its most visceral expression, a cosmic theatre whose lights subtly and surprisingly reverberate through the lenses of contemporary cinema. Like a modern Pierre Loti seeking not exoticism but echo, the eye of the camera plunges into this flow, attempting to capture the intangible.
The Ganges as Film Stock: The Flow of Eternity on Screen. The sacred river, mother and burial ground, is the visual archetype upon which cinema lingers most persistently. Its opaline waters, traversed by boats that seem cut from ancient miniatures, are not a mere backdrop. They become the film stock itself upon which stories are imprinted. Consider the contemplative lens of a Ron Fricke in “Baraka” or “Samsara”: slow panoramic shots of the ghats at dawn, where the smoke of the pyres merges with the morning mist, and bodies immerse themselves in a timeless ritual. There is no dialogue, only the whisper of the river and the underlying chant of mantras. This is a cinema that rejects conventional narrative to embrace visual meditation, transforming the act of watching into an almost transcendental experience, reflecting the cyclical, beginning-less/end-less nature of Hindu doctrine.
The Eye of Drama: The Ghats as a Moral Stage. Beyond the documentary-meditative approach, Varanasi has provided the setting for narrative dramas that use its spirituality to explore universal human dilemmas. Indian films, such as “Masaan” (titled “Fly Away Solo” in some regions) by Neeraj Ghaywan, are a striking example. Here, the cremation ghats are not just a scenic element, but a silent, relentless character.
The film follows the intertwined lives of characters struggling against rigid social hierarchies and fate, with the smoke of Manikarnika Ghat constantly hovering as a reminder of mortality and the hope of moksha (liberation). Hindu mysticism is stripped of any exoticism here and presented in its social function: faith as the only lifeline in a context of poverty and injustice. Cinema no longer seeks the picturesque but the emotional truth rooted in the sacred.
Lights and Shadows of the Alleyways: The Internalized Journey. The camera also delves into the labyrinthine galis of Kashi. These narrow alleys, navigated by cows, vendors, and pilgrims, symbolize the inner path of the devotee, a winding journey that culminates in the darshan (sacred vision) of a temple. The soft lights, the dramatic shadows, and the compressed sounds of the alleys replicate the experience of disorientation and revelation.
Ultimately, contemporary cinema that engages with Varanasi acts as a bridge between spiritual practice and aesthetic observation. The city is not a postcard, but a powerful metaphor generator. Through the skillful use of light, sound (the mantras, the Ganges), and human choreography on the ghats, the director transforms the city into a catalyst for reflection on time, death, and the ultimate meaning of existence, offering the audience not a lesson in Hinduism, but a profound meditative experience.