A documentary allows you that space,whereas fiction sometimes,can give the impression of being artificial and laboured,В” he says. В“To find something new,you have to have the ability to rely on the unpredictable. It may be one of the reasons why he chose the medium of a documentary. The visual language of the film,deliberately so,is sombre and emblematic of meditation,admits Nalin. The film was shot over 40 days with a 13-member crew. I found my В‘something uniqueВ’,but you will have to watch the film to see if I found my answers,В” says Nalin.

This film is an experience I will never forget. Midway through the film,Kishan also disappeared,and we had to spend all our time finding him. В“There was such chaos when we first arrived that I thought I would return within five days. Two starkly opposite babas provide humour and austerity to the narrative: Bhole baba,who rolls out sardonic advice and believes that Bob Marley could have been a baba and Hatha Yogi baba,who was previously a wandering soul but now devotes his time to raising an abandoned child. He jokes about his plans of becoming a don when he grows up. ThereВ’s the mischievous Kishan Tiwary,a 10-year-old runaway,who scouts shops and helps newcomers around the area for a quick buck. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6.ДЇaith Connections is peppered with interesting characters along the way. I wasnВ’t going to rest until I found my version of shraddha (devotion),and converted it into a film,В” says Nalin,via Skype,from Toronto. I didnВ’t want to put something desi out there,and make a film about exotic,naked sadhus dancing. В“I told my crew and producers that if I didnВ’t find something personal,I wouldnВ’t make a film.

Nalin set off to Allahabad in January this year,for the Maha Kumbh Mela,in search for answers,with a drive to find something unique.

Kumbh mela film