Banaras is a beautiful damsel draped in the warm glow of the rising sun, says Beenu Rajpoot. By Ramya Palisetty

Imagine a poet sitting on the ghats of Banaras surrounded by the sound of bees buzzing on the pristine river of Ganga writing about the culture, traditions and rituals performed by the pandits. He described human nature, philosophy, emotions and rose above religious conflicts and hatred. Mirza Ghalib was a humanist who declared the sacred city of Banaras as the Mecca of Hindustan. The outward gentleness and frailty cloaked an iron will born out of inner strength of conviction and courage. He believed in the most important religion of all, ‘universal brotherhood’. Today, he remains one of the most popular and influential masters of the Urdu language.

Beenu Rajpoot is an intelligent filmmaker and philosophical thinker. Inspired by Mirza Ghalib, she filmed a documentary titled Ka’aba-e-hindostan, Ghalib’s ode to Banaras: Charagh-e-dair.

The film is based on the journey of the prodigious poet to Banaras. While travelling to Calcutta for resumption of his royal pension, he came across the city of Banaras. Though he had plans to stay there for a day, he stayed there for months lost in a spell cast by the city. Ka’aba is a holy place of muslims and the poet believed that Banaras was the Ka’aba of our country. He wrote the Persian Masnavi, Charagh-e-Dair around 1827 in the holy city of the hindus. Immensely enthralled by the culture, he described Banaras as a beautiful damsel whose mirror is the Ganges and the blue sky adorning its forehead has stolen the shimmer from the sparkling Ganges to impart glitter to its bindi, the sun, every morning and evening. The masnavi has 108 verses which represents the 108 beads of the hindu rosary. During his stay in Banaras, Ghalib developed a sense of affection and attachment to the place which is profusely reflected in his poetry. The festivities and traditions attracted him so much that he wanted to pass his whole life on the banks of Ganga.

Four years ago, while the filmmaker was researching for her film Born to Dance based on Kathak Guru Shovana Narayan, she saw the dancer perform a small piece on Charagh-e-Dair. She was enchanted by the beauty and purity depicted in the performance. At that very moment, she decided to make a film on the subject. “I wanted people to see Banaras through the eyes of Ghalib. This city has attracted so many people. Sheikh Ali Hazim, a shia poet loved Banaras so much that he requested the raja to give him a piece of land to settle there.”

During pre -production, the crew and the director used to sit on the ghats from dawn to dusk to understand the essence of the city. “The city never sleeps and the real Banaras can be seen vividly at night but the sunrise is unlike anything one has ever seen in their life. One would feel like their inner being has awakened after a long slumber,” said she.

Passionate about research, the versatile auteur believes that it is a prominent aspect before starting any project.

Said she, “We read something in a book and all of us assume it is the ultimate truth. We never check references. I am a thorough researcher no matter how long the process takes. Authenticity is of utmost importance because we are conveying the information to the masses.”

For the film, Rajpoot read various manuscripts written in Persian and Urdu with the help of translators.

She was a constant visitor to Ghalib Institute, Delhi and Raza library in Rampur. She interviewed scholars and well-known personalities who had done extensive studies into Mirza Ghalib’s work. Said she, “I was consulting individuals at each and every step. I didn’t want any wrong information to be depicted in the entire film.”

The film took one and half years from the time of its inception to finally screening the film. “Films are close to my heart because they are a direct medium to convey the truth. Though it was a long and difficult time, I am happy about the journey.”

In her life the most important person is Guru Shovana Narayan. “Whatever I am, it is because of her. She is dynamic and multi-talented mentor who has guided me in every step of the way.”

According to her,  the purpose of making a film on our age old literature in the present era is to tell people that India was a rich country in terms of classical dance, music and art. Said the curious philosopher, “Youngsters do not value literature because everything is on their fingertips with internet and smartphones. But if we dig deeper into our archives, we have so many books which will become a lost legacy soon.”

She has focussed all her efforts towards making films on Indian art, culture and literature. “This is my niche. I am currently doing research on Hindi language and its journey in India because I feel there is a need to be aware of our mother tongue.”