INDIA CALLING
The phone rang, a Mumbai film company asking would I come to India, and write a corporate movie for a very big client.
I had always wished to return to India, but through synchronicity, had ended up in China and Vietnam first!
New Caledonia, Singapore, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Shanghai, The Maldives and Tahiti, several work trips to Los Angeles and New York, work had not been work but a great adventure, and always a learning experience.
Grabbing this opportunity with all three hands, I took to the air.
Landing in a very nice hotel, I was dined in exclusive clubs like the The Mumbai Cricket Club. "A million miles" from my original Ashram experience, but only two hours away from visiting and meditating in both Muktananda's and Nityananda's Samadhi Shrines in Ganeshpuri. The first day in Mumbai I visited Ganeshpuri, hoping to revisit the Ashram, but it was now closed to public access as it was now positioned as a Spiritual University, and you had to book well in advance for any form of access. Despite having spent time there, working on the big book and little film I was not allowed entrance. I was allowed to enter and meditate where Baba was buried, which I did feel a blessing, and there was easy open access for all to Nityananda's temple.
Like visiting a 'Spiritual Carwash', I emerged from each feeling gratitude and more bliss for this opportunity to visit both, and just that little bit 'shinier' inside and outside.
The brief for the film was to showcase the company's story, the history, products, it's culture and community services - it was one of the world's biggest developers of natural resources, and was committed to helping alleviate poverty and improving life in India.
I used the Banyon Tree as an analogy for the company's culture. How the Banyon Tree traditionally was at the centre of the community, a meeting ground, providing security, a shelter, and a gathering space for teaching and social interaction. The founder also had an inspiring story- from a young boy stripping copper from old cables with his father and selling it, to buying a small copper mine and then building the huge global corporation it is today, producing copper, silver, gold, aluminum.
A brilliant example of vision, commitment, hard work and passion, his vision included helping liberate India from buying resources from overseas countries when India was so blessed with a wealth of it's own resources that were relatively untouched, by funding community programs, education centers to feed and educate, help alleviate poverty, create homes for orphans and nurture the next generation.
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I got the call again and returned again a few months later for a new film for the same client which I wrote around the theme of harmony,
of numerous factors coming together and the part all of the individuals played in creating a successful and harmonious company culture.
I was delighted to hear Zakir Hussein, one of India's foremost musicians, was to compose the music track and his brother, also a widely acclaimed musician would produce the track and play on it. Musicians playing individually served as transitions between different components of the company and various company activities, finally 'peaking' playing together united as one harmonious group.
I stayed on and visited Jaipur, visiting the magnificent Palaces where I felt totally at home! Buckingham Palace would look really dowdy and boring after seeing these brilliant examples with beautiful architecture, painted walls and meticulously fine tile work.
The horizon was lined with defensive walls of great forts atop mountains that seemed to go for miles, and gave brilliant panoramic views of the city below and a front row seat to watch the sunset.
Jaipur is home to one of India's main temples devoted to Govinda, the historic Govind Dev Ji temple, dedicated to Govind Dev (Krishna) and his consort Radha, this sacred image is said to be have been created by Barjranabh, Lord Krishna's great-grandson, and brought from Vrindavan by Raja Sawai Jai Singh II, the founder of Jaipur. The temple is considered one of the most sacred and significant temple for devotees, how could I not say hello and give offerings to my namesake.
I was greeted by a large crowd n the middle of chanting "Govinda Jai Jai"and couldn't help laughing and smiling as I wholeheartedly joined in. As the chanting reached a peak, curtains opened to reveal Govinda and I was face to face with 'him/me/us'
I also felt very at home is some of Jaipur's palaces.