Christayan’ - a Hindi Film on Jesus

‘Christayan’ - a Hindi Film on Jesus

Copies of this film will be available from Gurjarvani on DVDs from next week.

Rs 250 per copy.

‘Christayan’ a Hindi Film on Jesus
By Varghese Alangadan 
        Indore:                                      




A six-hour-long film on Jesus in Hindi, 
directed by a Catholic priest, 
was released on Dec. 2 after 
he worked seven years on it 
with a team of some 200 amateur actors and technical staff.

Divine Word Father Geo George's unique movie with the name 
‘Christayan’ (the journey of Christ)
 was released in Indore.

Most part of the film was made in Madhya Pradesh 
but the team of actors had to visit 10 states including 
the northeastern part of India.


The team of over 200 people included scientists, 
professors, doctors, teachers, social activists, 
farmers, atheists, students, media persons, priests and religious sisters.

Ankit Sharma, a Hindu young man, acted as Jesus. 
Over 80 percent of the artists were "friends of Jesus" from other religions.

‘Christayan’ has an eastern flavor with Indian 
socio-cultural backgrounds and aesthetics 
interwoven with various genres of Indian music, 
rendered by some of the best singers and musicians of time.

Father George wrote the script, lyrics and 
also supervised the make up and costumes.

The priest had been a grass root level 
missionary in the interior villages of the state.

“Jesus, the living and loving God, is present with us 
and within us. So we need to experience Him amidst us as Indians,” he said. 
This faith in the Universal Christ is filmed with sociocultural worldview, he added.

The priest said his concept of making the film in an Asian context
 originated when he was a student of theology 
and came to know the meaning of ‘incarnation’.

His desire to know about what was happening to religions world over,
 the schisms, heresies, fatwas, excommunications, 
extremism and killing in the name of faith only
 intensified his passion to make the movie, he said.

He said that he has not made a film to increase 
the sentimental piety to Jesus and make him an object of worship.

“I have presented Jesus as a prophet committed
 to empower women and give them a dignified place in the society,” he said.

Jesus is presented as a person who is concerned about 
environment, defending the oppressed, 
teaching lessons of optimism and positive attitude, he added.

Inculturation is best expressed in the film 
by the celebration of festival of light. Bhagwat Gita
 and Vedas also find honorable presentation in the movie.

Neetu Joshi, a Hindu educationist, said the film 
should have happened fifty years ago.
 “It will remove misconceptions against Christ and Christianity,” she added.