On the very long list of unknowns changed world history with Raymond Simm, a seemingly insignificant action figure. As art director ‘Help!’ (1965), his second movie the BeatlesSimm can be credited with the decision to place a group of Indian musicians in the background of the shoot to add exoticism to a scene that takes place at the Rajahama restaurant. One of the extras played the sitarThe ancestral instrument of the Hindustani musical tradition that aroused the curiosity of the bored George Harrison that day, and this accidental discovery determined not only the trajectory of the Beatles as artists and individuals, but also the culture of the West. second half of the 20th century. this documentary ‘The Beatles and India’ opens in Spanish cinemas this Friday After passing the Valladolid and In-Edit festival, Seminci also tells the love story between a universal group and an incomprehensible country.
It is interesting to observe how. The enormous influence the Beatles exerted worldwide Over time, it helped dispel the negative prejudices that existed about India, ‘Help!’ A stereotypical vision of the movie itself, which a bloody cult of the goddess Kali embraced unflinchingly with its broad followers. “If you look at it from the point of view, ‘Help!’ today considered an offensive and racist movie -sign Ajoy BoseCo-director of The Beatles and India and author of the book on which the documentary is based. But the truth is, it didn’t create any controversy, probably because almost no one in India knew of its existence.
The Beatles in Bollywood
This is not to say that the Asian country was unaware of the ‘Beatlemania’ wave that swept the world in the mid-1960s. Ajoy Bose is an authoritative voice to speak on the subject, as he was an elite teenager at the time. Anglophone from Kolkata. And for that reason, he adored the Fab Four. “The Beatles initially had a huge impact on young people around British schools, a very small percentage of India, but within a few years its footprint spread to Bollywood and they reached a large audience there.” As a funny example button, some images are included in the documentary. brilliant Indian movie star Shammi Kapoor He sings the Hindi version of ‘I want to hold your hand’, dressed in a ‘beatle’ suit with a round neck and a ‘mop’ wig.
Meanwhile, in England, Harrison’s fascination with the sitara had developed into a genuine interest, a trend that perhaps had its origins in prenatal memory: apparently, During her pregnancy, George’s mother listened to Indian music on the radio. because it helped him relax. “It’s a fascinating fact,” says the film’s other co-director. Peter Compton-. It was announced by George’s mother’s sister, and there’s no reason not to believe him, because during WWII the BBC had a half-hour program of contemporary Indian music on Sunday mornings.
Aparece Ravi Shankar
In any case, the way of the sitar led Harrison cross paths with virtuous Pandit Ravi Shankar and there the glare was already absolute. The first meeting of the two musicians took place in June 1966 at a dinner organized by Ayana Deva Angadi, the founder of the London Asian Music Circle, and from the very first moment A bond formed between the two that is difficult to explain. He also attended the evening. Paul McCartney, who quickly lost interest. “Paul stayed on the sidelines,” says Shankara Angadi, son of the host, in the documentary. He looked bored and smoked like a coachman. My younger brother collected cigarette butts and brought them to school the next day.”
In September of the same year, Harrison traveled to Mumbai to take sitar lessons with his wife, Pattie (née Boyd), and Ravi Shankar. A stay of almost six weeks in India completely changed his life.. “When I interviewed Pattie Boyd for the movie,” explains Ajoy Bose, “he remembered the 1966 trip much better than the time they spent with the Maharishi in Rishikesh in 1968, it was talked about a lot more. That first trip was one that introduced George not only to Indian music but also to the culture and spirituality of the country.”
hippie mecca
Harrison’s Indian boom begins Infiltrating the Beatles’ work in the form of songs (‘I love you’, ‘Without you’, ‘Inner light’…) and this contributed to directing the gaze of Western youth towards the Ganges country which has become the spiritual abode of hippie culture. The meeting of four from Liverpool with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founding guru of the Transcendental Meditation movement, was the latest friction that exploded a powerful shock wave phenomenon.
The instigator of all this, of course, was George, who was denounced by his wife. convinced three group of friends to take a spiritual renewal course That the Maharishi gave for 10 days in the town of Bangor, Wales, at the end of August 1967. Experience The Beatles death of representative Brian Epsteindue to an accidental overdose of sleeping pills.
Epstein’s disappearance has deprived the four musicians of not only a brilliant businessman, but also a father figure, a guardian angel who has guided their steps since 1962. ‘The Beatles and India’ argues exactly this thesis: this absence is what pushed John, Paul, George and Ringo into the arms of the Maharishi.adopted as their spiritual masters. With a sharp commercial nose and an unwavering smile, the guru did not hesitate to use the names of his new students to promote himself and expand his rights in the West.
¡A Rishikesh!
The main part of this whole saga, of course, was that the four ‘beatles’ stayed with their partners in the Maharishi’s ashram (or meditation center) in Rishikesh, at the foot of the Himalayas. A brilliantly documented episode from the Bose and Compton moviewith lots of references and unpublished images.
The experience served the Fab Four a temporary escape from the roads of fame and financial troubles that plagued them in London. also contributed to strengthening the personality of each of the musicians.those who begin to see themselves as autonomous individuals outside the group. Ringo Starr arriving with a suitcase of Heinz beans It took only 10 days to avoid the hassle of Indian food. It took four weeks for Paul McCartney, who never took the meditation thing too seriously and took advantage of the retreat to write songs (most of which ended up on ‘White Albums’).
The most persistent John Lennon and George Harrison. But the patience of the first, who hoped to find an enlightenment that had yet to come in Rishikesh, ran out two months later. Rumors began to spread that the Maharishi had sex with some of his young female disciples.including actress Mia Farrow. Not only did Lennon decide to return home (followed by George unnecessarily), he abruptly severed all ties to the guru, and his typical trait is, dedicated a stinging song called ‘Maharishi’ to him, later Renamed ‘Sexy Sadie’. The sexual harassment accusations were never confirmed.
Beginning of the end
The Rishikesh affair had a bitter end, but left a deep impression on the Beatles. There are those who claim that it is not baseless. Spiritual exploration lies at the root of the group’s disintegration.became final two years later. Ajoy Bose offers a more nuanced explanation: “There are two ways to look at this. The first is that Rishikesh gives them the tools to see themselves as individuals, to develop their own identity, which alienates them from the group. But the following can also be said. perhaps they would have parted ways sooner if the Maharishi had not appeared.because when Brian Epstein’s death devastated them, it was he who gave them a sense of shared purpose and unity.
Harrison, on the other hand, looked at things a little differently. Years later, in his autobiographical book ‘Me, me, me’ he wrote, “If everyone understood what we went through in Rishikesh, they would spend more time meditating and not be so distracted.” Meditation would help us handle the situation. […] Instead, we went crazy.”