Banaras (2006 film)

Banaras: A Mystic Love Story is the name of an Indian Bollywood film directed by Pankaj Parashar released in 2006. The film takes place in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi (the city, once known as Banaras, serves as a destination for the pilgrimage of millions of Hindu worshippers annually) and is centered around the relationship of a young woman with her parents and her lover. The storyline also has a strong religious dimension. Most of the film was shot in Varanasi, with some scenes shot in Mauritius.

Plot

A young woman, Shwetambari (played by Urmila Matondkar) is the daughter to wealthy Brahmin parents, Mahendranath and Gayatri Devi (played by Raj Babbar and Dimple Kapadia respectively) and studies at university in the city. She falls in love with a low-caste mystic named Soham (played by Ashmit Patel).Soham, after one meditative session, is illumined by Babaji, his mentor (played by Naseeruddin Shah) and decides there is no harm in falling in love with the girl from the high-caste Brahmin family.This creates a citywide scandal. Shwetambari's parents initially object but eventually support the relationship, despite the objections of orthodox elements. The orthodox elements of the society discourage the relationship actively,driving Shwetambari to depression. She eventually finds salvation in her religious beliefs. Eventually, when she discovers that it is her own mother who had caused the murder of her fiance, a disheartened Shwetambari leaves the city.

17 years later,...
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