When German Parvati fell for Indian Shiva

Filmmaker Krishna Saraswati went to the Himalayas to find out the true story of his parents, an Indian yogi and German devotee who were revered as Shiva and Parvati

Filmmaker Krishna Saraswati went to the Himalayas to find out the true story of his parents, an Indian yogi and German devotee who were revered as Shiva and Parvati

"The greatest treasure that one can leave behind is to have lived a life that is worth being retold."

India-born German filmmaker Krishna Saraswati's words ring no truer than for his extraordinary parents, an Indian guru and his German soul mate whose intense love story transcends life and death. Their powerful cross-cultural story has been retold by Krishna in his award-winning debut film, The Legend of Shiva and Parvati, which won Best Intercultural Film at the Asian Hot Shots 2009. A student at the Film Academy Baden-Wu00fcrttemberg in Germany, the 29 year-old is currently working on his Filmdiplom, as director. In Mumbai for a screening of the documentary as part of a pan-India tour, Krishna is blissful. "Although I haven't spent many years in India, all the places I go to feel strangely familiar," he says with unwavering serenity.



It's a state of mind that comes naturally to a man born to a yogi couple in the Himalayas. That is also where his mother Renate met guru Nithiyanand Saraswathy, and fell in love with him. "My mother was never a hippie," he clarifies. We get proof of this early on in the film where her polished brother Wolfgang Schneider declares over breakfast: "The only difference between your mother and I was that she went to India and I went to Tu00fcbingen."

Director Krishna Saraswati

The disciples, who revered the guru as Shiva, were deeply concerned when they come face-to-face with the burning love between their master and the young woman. But later, they realised that Shiva did find his Parvati. The similarities in the two stories were so striking that locals began to call Krishna's parents by names of the two Gods. Parvati returned to Germany in 1985 with her children Krishna and Narmada after she suffered domestic violence. "Germany was a completely different world. But young as I was, I adjusted soon enough, " he says. Three years ago, when both his parents died prematurely, Krishna knew it was time to discover their true story.

Three months of research in India and Germany, and an entire year of editing later, The Legend of Shiva and Parvati was complete. "The film forces you to slow down and focus on feelings rather than facts. So, the story only acts as a mirror... it makes you think about your own life," says the director.

He does not introduce people, places or dates. The focus is on the emotional and the universal truths hidden in the narrative. The people telling the story come from both of Krishna's worlds: Germany and India.

"Eventually, it's about the courage to go one's own way," says Krishna.

At: 6.30 pm at Goethe Hall, Max Mueller Bhavan, Kala Ghoda. Entry is free