_____________________________________________________________________________ «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»¥«¤» ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ _____________________________________________________________________________ SWAMI VIVEKANANDA POLL - CORRESPONDENCE AND ARTICLES _____________________________________________________________________________ 1902 SWAMI VIVEKANANDA MAHASAMADHI CENTENARY 2002 Which actor would YOU like to see portray Swami Vivekananda in an American Motion Picture? The editors of this website would have chosen the late Orson Welles to play the part, because of his outstanding acting ability, sonorous voice, and remote ressemblance to Swamiji. Send your suggestions by email to: omtatsat98@hotmail.com. Bollywood and Indian Stage Actors also included. Copy & Paste this URL into your Browser's Location Box to listen to Orson Welles' 1938 presentation of "War of the Worlds": http://www.angelfire.com/ma/vivekananda/orson.wav This WAV file will be an example of the type of voice and pronunciation we imagine to be most like Swami Vivekananda. Additonal Note: It would be indeed satisfying to see an 'epic' film, exploring Swamiji's life and teachings, similar to the Hollywood movie, "Gandhi" stariing Ben kingsley. Return to webpage: www.tinyurl.com/vivekanandapoll _____________________________________________________________________________ CORRESPONDENCE Update - June 30, 2012 Hey, I just read a blog on internet regarding "Which Actor would you like to see portraying Swami Vivekanand in an American Motion Picture", and I realised that I want to share something which was running in my mind. I believe every man is Swami Vivekanand as far as he's as an individual believes that his every Act performed by him never makes him or others weak & contributes to world awakening. Thanks, I felt like contributing my belief in him by mailing this, so please don’t analyse this mail in a wrong way. Amen. Ajay Sharma ( Swami's Child) ajay.sharma.6@aonhewitt.com _____________________________________________________________________________ ARTICLES Update - June 13, 2012 A film titled The Light- Vivekananda, which portrays the transition from a young Vivekananda to one of the greatest preachers of all time, will be presented on the silver screen by director Tutu Das. The historic Town Hall in the city was transformed to look like the Art Institute of Chicago, where Vivekananda delivered his famous speech in 1893, as part of shooting for the film. Das says it will be shot in Bengali and Hindi but producers are planning to dub it in 18 other languages. "I have tried to recapture the event-filled life of Swami Vivekananda, starting from when he was a little boy called 'Bile', to Narendranath Dutta in his youth when he undertook visits to northern India to his last days," Das told reporters on the set at Town Hall. Das says he had been nursing the idea to make the film for the past three years. "Vivekananda's visit to Ramesharam and from there to Kanyakumari, where he sat on a rock and reflected on the state of affairs in the country, will all be there in the movie, though the present-day Vivekananda Rock in Kanyakumari does not resemble the original rock," the director said. "So, we had to scout for another spot nearby and zeroed in on a desolate, unexplored place where a identical rock exists amid waves," he added. Swami Vivekananda's role is played by Deep Bhattacharya who acts on stage under theatre group 'Sambed' while Gargi Roy Choudhury will play mother Sarada. "I am mighty happy to portray one of the most liberated women of all times," Gargi said. Premankur Chattopadhyay will play Ramakrishna and Sister Nivedita by California-based actor Courtney Stephens Brook There are eight songs in the film including Vivekananda's favourite Mono Cholo Nijo Niketone. FROM: http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/showbiz/others/new-film-swami-vivekanandas-life-making-589 _____________________________________________________________________________ Update - May 17, 2012 Now, a film on Swami Vivekananda Stepping into the shoes of a director, well known publicity designer of box-office hits Indra and Sye, Suresh Bujji, has embarked upon a mission to preach Indian culture to the youth through his directorial debut titled Swami Vivekananda. The traditional coconut breaking ceremony was held at the Annapurna studios in Jubilee Hills on Wednesday, and was attended by Suresh Bujji and his close aides. The inaugural function featured a shot of the protagonist speaking Vivekananda’s famous words about God — “Turn stone into God, not God into stone". The film features Prabath, grandson of the late Congress leader P Janardhan Reddy, essaying the role of Swami Vivekananda for his debut movie. Speaking at the ceremony, he said, “My grandfather is the inspiration for me to do this (movie). Both he and Swami Vivekananda were against discrimination of different classes of the society, and even their birthday (January 12) coincides.” Director Suresh Bujji added, “I want to make this film on the lines of Bala Bharatam and Bala Ramayanam, and to reach the audience much like Annamayya and Ramadasu.” The movie is presented by Laxmi Ganapathi films and produced by Indra Chitra. The shooting will take place in Hyderabad, Kanyakumari, Guwahati, Kolkata, besides a major schedule in the Himalayas. FROM: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/now-a-film-on-swami-vivekananda/258695-60-121.html _____________________________________________________________________________ UPDATE: Dec 9, 2011 Victory Venkatesh, who is presently busy with Bodyguard, will soon be seen as Swami Vivekananda in his one of the future projects. As per reports, Venky will handle Swami Vivekananda’s role in director Mani Shankar's new film. Venkatesh himself has revealed that the film’s script has been finalized and the film will goes on to sets in the first half of 2012. More details are awaited. From: http://telugu.galatta.com/entertainment/telugu/livewire/id/Venkatesh_as_Vivekananda_55849.html _____________________________________________________________________________ CORRESPONDENCE UPDATE: July 7, 2011 From: ericf2009@gmail.com Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2011 23:01:35 -0700 Subject: Actor for Swami Vivekananda To: omtatsat98@hotmail.com Leonardo Dicaprio, hands down. Performance in Titanic sealed it, although he's done better since. Eric Foster _____________________________________________________________________________ ARTICLES UPDATE: Sept 17, 2010 Song of the spirit MANJARI SINHA Like the protagonist of his solo play on Swami Vivekananda, singer-actor Shekhar Sen won the hearts of one and all. The life and vision of the man divine, Swami Vivekananda was presented by Impresario India in an incredible musical play written, composed and enacted by the renowned actor-singer Shekhar Sen from Mumbai at Kamani auditorium this past week. The outstanding performance of this gifted artiste encompassed the life of the patriot saint whose vision of shared spirituality and eloquent message at the World Parliament of Religions at Chicago conquered the hearts of people from across the world. Disclosing the making of this dynamic saint, the two-hour long riveting play unfolds the stories of his childhood, the impact of the Brahmo-Samaj on him, his eagerness to find God and meeting his revered mentor Ramakrishna Paramhamsa, his unforgettable Chicago speech, and so on. A talented singer, composer, lyricist and actor, Sen left the audience awestruck, debating whether he was a better singer or actor, after his spellbinding performance as Vivekananda. With a solid background provided by his initial training in classical music from an early age under his parents Anita and Arun Kumar Sen, both renowned v ocalists of the Gwaliar gharana, Shekhar later established his distinct identity by singing poetry of the medieval poets. He has done more than 1500 shows across the world. With 190 cassettes and CDs to his credit, he has also sung for the record-breaking serial “Ramayana”. After the resounding success of his musical mono-acts on Goswami Tulsidas and Kabeer, “Vivekananda” represents yet another milestone for this gem of an artiste. The thoughtfully conceived solo play “Vivekananda” comes alive with moving dialogues and melodious music offering a rich variety from simple traditional folk tunes to classical to Bangla geet , along with the authentic khol and manjira accompaniment. The Meera bhajan “Daras bin dookhan laage nain” based on raga Hamsadhwani conveys Naren's poignant yearning to see God. The first song he sings for Swami Ramakrishna is a Bangla song in raga Desh with the folk fragrance of Bengal. “Nirgun Nirakar” in raga Jog set to drut Ek tala offer a comely contrast next. When asked by his mentor to sing “pukka gaana” (classical music), he impresses with an impeccable Bhairavi bandish “Maa Kaalika” set to drut Teen tala. If “Prabhu mere avagun chit na dharo”, composed in Chandrakauns and sung by the tawaif in the court of Khetri Maharaja, has all the pathos to evoke Vivekananda's remorse and compassion, the dhrupad in raga Darbari, “Har Har Mahadeva” is the ideal composition to be sung as an invocation to Lord Shiva at Amarnath. The delightfully difficult syncopation in “Tahi aheer ki chhoharia, chhachhiya bhar chhachh pen ach nachavai” showcased Sen's immaculate command over the rhythmic aspect as well. The concluding Bhairavi bhajan “Itana to karna Swami jab pran tan se nikale” gave the intimation of Swami Vivekananda's nirvikalpak samadhi. Impresario India deserves kudos for bringing this outstanding presentation to the art loving audience of the Capital. From: http://www.thehindu.com/arts/theatre/article672691.ece _____________________________________________________________________________ UPDATE: June 8, 2010 Victory Venkatesh is one such star who would always be a touch far away from the media. Given his successful stint in the film industry, producers and directors still wait for his dates. But this time Venkatesh has thrown a surprise to everyone by foraying into small screen. Venkatesh is gearing up to set a new trend in TV by essaying the role of Swami Vivekananda, the great Indian philosopher. This TV series would be running into 25 episodes that focus on the life and ideologies of Swami Vivekananda. The shooting for this TV series would start soon. Director Neelakanta who made films like ‘Show’ and ‘Missamma’ would be directing this TV series and Venkatesh himself is producing. Further, this Venkatesh TV series will also be dubbed in English and other languages later. FROM: http://www.supergoodmovies.com/6022/tollywood/Venkatesh-in-TV-as-Swami-Vivekananda-News-Details _____________________________________________________________________________ Update: Oct 13-09 Venkatesh to act as Vivekananda? IndiaGlitz [Monday, October 12, 2009] Victory Venkatesh has acted in many movies in his career lasting more than a decade. The actor has always preferred different roles to test his performance. Now sources indicate the actor is all set to act as Swami Vivekananda. This movie based on the life of the Swami will be made by K Raghavendra Rao. Though he has done variety of roles, this is the first time he might taken up such a historic role. Further details of the movie are awaited. We are sure Victory Venkatesh will come out victorious in this one as well if the project materializes. For now, let us wait for Venky to come with his ‘Namo Venkatesa’ FROM: http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/telugu/article/50715.html _____________________________________________________________________________ Update June 25, 2009 Mohanlal backs out from Yugapurushan Yugapurushan by R Sukumaran has aroused much curiosity on account of its storyline, the characters and the impressive star cast. After having raised much hoopla, the latest we hear is that superstar Mohanlal has backed out from the project. Mohanlal was to play the role of Swami Vivekananda in the movie and the actor had also given his consent earlier. There has been no difference in opinion between the actor and the director. To get into the character Mohanlal was asked to take off his moustache. However he is currently acting in Alexander the Great. Continuity has cropped up as a major problem here and the actor cannot afford to Risk [^] the shooting of Alexander the Great which had already begun for the sake of two to three days of shooting for Yugaprurushan. After holding talks with R Sukumaran, Mohanlal has decided to let go this project. Plans were to shoot the scenes involving Mohanlal at Mysore, but now they have decided to abandon those scenes and not go for a substitute. However they are convinced that the absence of these scenes would not pose any problem to the integrity of the story. With Mohanlal withdrawing from the project, it needs to be seen how the movie would shape up and the audiences who have been waiting for the Mohanlal - Mammootty team, will have to wait for some time more. See Photo of Mohanlal: http://entertainment.oneindia.in/img/2009/06/25-mohanlal-040208.jpg From: http://entertainment.oneindia.in/malayalam/top-stories/2009/mohanlal-back-out-yugapurushan-250609.html _____________________________________________________________________________ Update October 26, 2007 Venkatesh as Swami Vivekananda? It is a well-known fact that Venkatesh has always been interested in doing a film based either on mythology or a historical character. For a long time now, it has been rumoured that he will be doing a film on Swamy Vivekananda. But the latest from the film grapevine is that K Raghavendra Rao would be directing this film once Panduranga starring Balakrishna will be completed. Though the talks have been on for a very long time, this time the film is likely to roll, say the insiders. From: http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/telugu/article/34296.html _____________________________________________________________________________ UPDATE MAY 30, 2007 Veteran director K Raghavendra Rao is planning a movie titled 'Swami Vivekananda'. He is reported to have zeroed in on Sumanth to play the role of Swamy Vivekananda. It is also being said that Akkineni Nagarjuna is likely to play the role of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Raghavesddra Rao is currently planning a film 'Ranga Pandurangs' with Balakrishna. So the film on Vivekananda is likely to be delayed till the film with Balakrishna is complete. From: http://www.bollywoodpremiere.com/movies/SouthCinemaNews/07/may/Sumanth-27.php CORRESPONDENCE _____________________________________________________________________________ Chiranjeevi as Swami Vivekananda _____________________________________________________________________________ From : CHANDRA.P SEKHAR Sent : January 15, 2007 4:55:08 AM To : omtatsat98@hotmail.com Subject : Chiranjeevi as Swami Vivekananda. Dear Sir, My name is P. Chaandra Sekhar, me and my friends belived and taken Swamiji as our Guru. We are followers of Swamiji's teachings. Since from our college days we allways think of actor who can best suited to the Swamuji's role. Then we all came to one conclusion as Chiranjeevi, who was a prominent actor in telugu cinema, can be best suited to this role. He also resembles, very much nearer to swamiji, with strinking personality, powerfull eyes like Swamiji, good voice and dialogues can be practisable. His English also good. He also very dedicated actor, we thought he can live up to the expectations. These are my suggestions. Regards, P.Chandra Sekhar. chandrasekhar74@yahoo.com Note from Web Admin: There is a very nice website about Chiranjeevi HERE: http://www.rediff.com/entertai/may/03chira.htm _____________________________________________________________________________ From : "sans248" To : Subject : Vivekananda Poll Date : Fri, 07 Mar 2003 14:30:01 +0530 _____________________________________________________________________________ To The Authorities. This is regarding the selection of an actor for the roll of Swami Vivekananda, as referred on the website http://www.angelfire.com/ma/vivekananda/poll.jpg I think a Bollywood actor, AAMIR KHAN, will suitably fit for the personality of the role. No doubt, he is a highly talented actor...last year his film LAGAAN was nominated for the OSCARS in the best foreign film category. Also, his face matches up with that of Swami Vivekananda very well. You can get information about this actor by typing his name in a search engine like GOOGLE. Thanking You, Sandeep Karande, Mumbai _____________________________________________________________________________ From: "puneet kumar sharma" Reply-To: "puneet kumar sharma" To: omtatsat98@hotmail.com Date: 16 Feb 2003 07:38:42 -0000 _____________________________________________________________________________ well, i think to have an actor , we should consult an Indian who can speak good English as an Indian only knows about Indian culture more like "maryadayen, brahmcharia" etc.Swami whould have all qualities in better. thanx, Puneet ----------end forwarded correspondence------------ _____________________________________________________________________________ E A R L I E R A R T I C L E S _____________________________________________________________________________ "Enthralling Play Captures Life of Swami Vivekananda" _____________________________________________________________________________ Apr 8th, 2006 By VIJI SUNDARAM India-West Staff Reporter HAYWARD, Calif. - With a minimal use of props and in the space of a little more than two hours, Shekhar Sen seamlessly transported his audience from Kolkata to Chicago to England and many other lands as he mesmerizingly enacted the tale of Swami Vivekananda. With mellifluous songs and speech, Sen did a wondrous solo act in the Hindi musical, "Vivekanand," at the Chabot Community College auditorium here April 1. It was also presented April 2 at the Servite High School in Anaheim, both under the auspices of Performing Arts International and the Shah Foundation. Sen wrote, sang and acted the play wearing the simple ochre robe, sash and Rajasthani-style turban one has come to associate with Swami Vivekananda, one of the first saints who left the shores of India to carry the message of Vedanta to the West. The swami's earlier days, first as the mischievous Kolkata-born Narendranath, then as the teenager troubled by the sight of poverty and hardship that almost drives him to atheism, and then as the college student who is blown away by the profound mind of the sage of Dakshineshwar, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, are all vividly captured in the delightful musical. Sen brings out not only the teacher aspect of Swami Vivekananda but the selfless and compassionate sevak who worked for charitable causes even as he spread the message of Hinduism within and outside his native India in the short span of his life. It was clear from the very moment the curtain rose until it came down two hours later that Sen had captivated the audience, who frequently applauded the inspiring lyrics. Sen threw himself into the part, no holds barred. When he launched into the swami's history-making speech at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, opening it with the words, "Sisters and Brothers of America," there was no mistaking the feeling that went behind those words. "He left me breathless," noted Daksha Thakkar, a member of the audience. "He was awesome," observed Fremont, Calif.-resident Veronica Hausman. "It was so powerful." This is the third musical play Sen has written and produced since he dedicated his career to play writing, although he modestly takes no credit for them. "When these characters provoke me into writing their stories, they get them written," he told India-West in an interview after his performance to a near-sellout crowd in Los Angeles April 2. :by indiawest FROM: http://www.indiawest.com/view.php?subaction=showfull&id= 1144346918&archive=&start_from=&ucat=7 SEE A POSTER FOR THE PERFORMANCE HERE: http://www.kaladarshan.com/images/vivek.jpg Video Preview: (Note:large file - 23 MB in MPEG format) Clip 1: http://www.kaladarshan.com/multimedia/01vivekanand.mpeg Clip 2: http://www.kaladarshan.com/multimedia/02vivekanand.mpeg _____________________________________________________________________________ "Ashutosh Rana hopes to play Swami Vivekananda" _____________________________________________________________________________ UPDATE: July 20, 2004 TIMES NEWS NETWORK [ TUESDAY, JULY 20, 2004 06:29:06 AM ] The psychopathic killer in Dushman is back. Following appearances in LoC and Haasil, Ashutosh Rana plays the "lead protagonist" in Chot. "I was very enthused about playing the character of Kishan Yadav in Chot . In this movie, I play milkman Kishan Yadav, who comes to Mumbai from UP to earn a living and provide a better life to his kid brother. In Mumbai, however, this small-time dairy farm owner finds himself pitted against big builders. It's the story of a common man in a big city, a story of struggle, a story close to my heart," says Rana, who believes in "playing roles that are hard-hitting, yet real." An NSD alumnus, Rana is also looking forward to the release of 2nd October and Shabnam Mausi -- another movie in which he plays the protagonist. " Shabnam Mausi is the story of a eunuch and the surrounding world." Is the real-life Rana as intense as the roles he essays? "I wouldn't say that I'm a politically-motivated person, but I'm a very aware person. And I am concerned by whatever is happening around me -- everything around us has a bearing on our lives." When he's not soaking in the grease paint, Rana is a homebird. "I spend my free time with my wife Renuka and son Shouryaman. Ours is a nuclear family. Also, I read a lot, autobiographies in particular." It comes as no surprise then that Rana hopes to play the role of his "inspiration" -- Swami Vivekananda -- some day That's hard-hitting, yet real. _____________________________________________________________________________ ashok.chatterjee@timesgroup.com _____________________________________________________________________________ FROM: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/784096.cms? ____________________________________________________________________________ "A life enacted in greatness - Swami Vivekananda by Shekhar Sen" ____________________________________________________________________________ Monday, July 26th, 2004 To portray a life that was marked with an unparalleled greatness, it is essential that the one with the responsibility of that portrayal share an iota of that greatness. Shekhar Sen has most convincingly and gracefully achieved this with his exemplary presentation of mono-act musical plays on the lives of some of our greatest spiritual heroes like Kabir, Tulsidas and Swami Vivekananda. Sen, in an endeavour that takes on a memorable journey through the life of Vivekananda, his thoughts and his beliefs, emphatically reproduces in his act the essence that he had come down to convey; a tryst with Truth, a life lived in God and for God alone. Swami Vivekananda alights amidst a city audience through this messenger of peace. When: A musical monoact by Shekhar Sen When: Today at 6 pm Where: The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Vivekananda Hall FROM: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1040726/asp/calcutta/story_3537689.asp ______________________________________________________________________________ UPDATE: Sept. 5th, 2004 THROUGH CONFLICT, THEY UNITE _____________________________________________________________________________ "Actor Uday Chandra as Vivekananda" Mumbai, September 5: Swami Vivekananda’s speech in English. Recitations of Urdu poetry and revisiting Hindu mythology. Trisanga is a two-hour play that combines the beauty of three languages - English, Urdu and Hindi. Rebutting the charge of language chauvinists, the drama proves how different languages can cohabit, and yet retain their distinctive qualities. Re-enacting Swami Vivekananda’s famous 1892 speech at the World Congress of Religions at Chicago, actor Uday Chandra takes the audience to the fascinating world of thoughts. Unlike the Hindutva brigade, Vivekananada spoke of a tolerant Hinduism. An idea of India that is inclusive and plural. One has seen the likes of singer-actor Shekhar Sen present Vivekananda, Kabir and Tulsi Das in separate plays. Rarely does a play comprise facets of three languages. ‘‘It’s to show how three languages can live together,’’ says Tom Alter, who co-directs the play apart from presenting 11 poems by Delhi-based Urdu poet Idraak Bhatti. ‘‘All the poems are in free verse. We entertain, we don’t preach, ’’ claims Alter, who will also present Father & Son, a conflict between a domineering father and his rebellious son. ‘‘It’s a conflict of values, of two individuals representing two generations,’’ explains Alter, who people have told that the drama portrays their story. Enter Chandra Khanna, reciting legendary Hindi poet Maithlisharan Gupt’s epic poem Jadrath Vadh (Killing of Jadrath). Jadrath was the gatekeeper of the Abhimanyu’s Chakraviyu. ‘‘It’s actually a three-and-a-half hour story. For this play, I present the story of Abhimanyu from his birth to his death,’’ reveals Khanna, who has earned acclaim for his solo performance of Jadrath Vadh. And if you thought it was all about the works of established poets, there is Dr Bharat Vatwani, a practising psychiatrist, reading his poems from a collection exquisitely titled Alone Isolated and Lovely. Working with people who live on the streets, Vatwani speaks for the common man, for the underprivileged. What do you call this medley of poetry, philosophy and social service? "Theatre with a difference" (Trisanga will be staged at the Nehru Centre, Worli, at 7.30 pm on September 6) FROM: http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=98375 _____________________________________________________________________________ Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html Doctrine of International Copyright Law ______________________________________________________________________________