In the Name of Buddha
Encyclopedia
In the Name of Buddha is a 2002 British film drama
written and directed by Rajesh Touchriver
. The film tells the true story of Tamil doctor Siva, who fled to Britain in 1993, flushing his false passport down the toilet during his flight. Siva is a friend of the film's producer Sai George. Its plot revolves around the conflict between minority Tamil rebels and the Sri Lanka
n army and India
n peacekeeping forces. It is Touchriver's debut film as director, and shot in London
and the Indian
states of Kerala
and Tamil Nadu
.
After its world premiere at the Oslo International Film Festival
, the film proved controversial and garnered critical acclaim for its subject matter. Touchriver was nominated in the category Best Debut Director at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival
. It also won Best Foreign Film at the Beverly Hills Film Festival
and the Best Film Award at the Newport Beach Film Festival
in Hollywood. The film was also awarded "Best Film" at the Wine Country Film Festival in 2003. Following the success of In the Name of Buddha, Touchriver directed the music video for the song "Sunshowers
" by M.I.A.
in 2004. M.I.A. approached Touchriver to direct after being moved by the film.
. He is taken into custody for arriving illegally. On the flight to London he looked forward to the questioning at immigration. He finds it difficult to tell his story because he must remember the travails he faced. He is betrayed by his Sinhalese best friend. Siva finds a humane and understanding Immigration Officer, an elderly lady. When he finishes, she rolls up her sleeve and shows him her Hitlerian concentration camp number. He is admitted to Britain as a political refugee.
“Very worthy” – BBCi Films. “Brave film” - The Guardian
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
written and directed by Rajesh Touchriver
Rajesh Touchriver
-Biography:Rajesh was born in Kerala to a Malayali family. He inherited a flair for Kathakali, the classical dance of Kerala, from Siva Sankaran Nair, his father who was a veteran Kathakali artist. He also had some early training in Kalaripayattu, the martial art of Kerala...
. The film tells the true story of Tamil doctor Siva, who fled to Britain in 1993, flushing his false passport down the toilet during his flight. Siva is a friend of the film's producer Sai George. Its plot revolves around the conflict between minority Tamil rebels and the Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n army and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n peacekeeping forces. It is Touchriver's debut film as director, and shot in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and the Indian
Indian
Indian may refer to:On the Indian subcontinent:*Indian cuisine**Anglo-Indian cuisine* Indian people* A person belonging to one of the ethnic groups of India or South Asian ethnic groups * Languages of India...
states of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
and Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
.
After its world premiere at the Oslo International Film Festival
Films from the South
Films from the South Festival is an international movie festival held annually in Oslo, Norway. Movies from Africa, Asia, and Latin-America are shown. The festival has its origin in the student film club of University of Oslo, and has gone on to become one of Norway's most favourite festivals. It...
, the film proved controversial and garnered critical acclaim for its subject matter. Touchriver was nominated in the category Best Debut Director at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
. It also won Best Foreign Film at the Beverly Hills Film Festival
Beverly Hills Film Festival
The Beverly Hills Film Festival is a film festival in the United States founded by award-winning independent filmmaker Nino Simone in 2001. The festival debuted in 2001, and has shown regular growth each year...
and the Best Film Award at the Newport Beach Film Festival
Newport Beach Film Festival
The Newport Beach Film Festival is a film festival in the United States held in Newport Beach, California, that showcases more than 350 films to more than 30,000 attendees annually....
in Hollywood. The film was also awarded "Best Film" at the Wine Country Film Festival in 2003. Following the success of In the Name of Buddha, Touchriver directed the music video for the song "Sunshowers
Sunshowers
"Sunshowers" is a song by British musician M.I.A. from her critically acclaimed debut album Arular . It was written and produced by Maya Arulpragasam, Ross Orton, Steve Mackey, August Darnell and Stony Jr. Browder with additional production by Nesreen Shah and Anthony Whiting. The song includes a...
" by M.I.A.
M.I.A. (artist)
Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam , better known by her stage name M.I.A. , is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, painter and director of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. Her compositions combine elements of hip hop, electronica, dance, alternative and world music. M.I.A...
in 2004. M.I.A. approached Touchriver to direct after being moved by the film.
Plot
It starts by showing a young Tamil medical student, Siva, who arrives, undocumented, at London's Heathrow International airportLondon Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
. He is taken into custody for arriving illegally. On the flight to London he looked forward to the questioning at immigration. He finds it difficult to tell his story because he must remember the travails he faced. He is betrayed by his Sinhalese best friend. Siva finds a humane and understanding Immigration Officer, an elderly lady. When he finishes, she rolls up her sleeve and shows him her Hitlerian concentration camp number. He is admitted to Britain as a political refugee.
Critical reception
“A Fine Balance”- India Today. “A Courageous Treatise” – Empire. “Terrific” – Film Review UK“Very worthy” – BBCi Films. “Brave film” - The Guardian