Audio

Tamala Krsna: Yadubara... There's one letter from Yadubara Prabhu. Actually, he told me to get to see you.

Prabhupada: Hmm? What shall I advise? I have no experience about this. You do. But this scientific film should not be done independently.

Tamala Krsna: His reason for coming to India this time was to give you that film and to now make a film about India. He proposes to travel to holy places and festivals to show people engaged in the nine processes of devotional service. "My first immediate trip," he says, "would be to Trichur, Kerala, to show the Pooram Festival, where thousands of people join in a procession through the streets. A Deity of Krsna is carried on an elephant. At some of these big festivals there may be many non-Vaisnavas. Is it all right to show these people? Or should we only show Vaisnavas in this movie?"

Prabhupada: No, no. But what will be the benefit of our taking photograph of other procession? There are so many processions like that. So what will be benefit?

Tamala Krsna: He says his general idea is that "to present and establish Krsna as a factual personality and not just some mythical character." To do this, he wants "to show historical sites of His pastimes combined with paintings to illustrate Krsna's birth, His Vrndavana, Mathura and Dvaraka pastimes, speaking Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna, and His teachings as given in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Then we would show His, Krsna's, teachings, how Krsna's teachings were passed down..."

Prabhupada: This is good.

Tamala Krsna: What, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: The idea is good.

Tamala Krsna: Yeah, it sounds very good.

Prabhupada: So you decide.

Tamala Krsna: He wants to show how Krsna's teachings were passed down through the ages by the great acaryas through the different sampradayas...

Prabhupada: That is good.

Tamala Krsna: ...Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Saṅkaracarya...

Prabhupada: It is not fictitious, as rascal... I have discussed.

Tamala Krsna: Yes. This is exactly what his purpose is. He wants to show there is Kuruksetra. It's not in someone's mind. "And perhaps even including Lord Buddha's explaining his real identity and role in bringing people to a higher platform."

Prabhupada: These are good ideas.

Tamala Krsna: "And then to include Lord Caitanya, the Six Gosvamis and other great acaryas in our line, up to Your Divine Grace, the foremost preacher of the science of Krsna consciousness in the world today."

Prabhupada: Very good. This is all right.

Tamala Krsna: "Then we would show how Lord Krsna's teachings are still manifest in India today by the nine devotional processes and the predominant role Krsna plays in the culture and religious life of the people in temple worship, painting, dance, music and lifestyle, including offering and taking prasadam, varnasrama-dharma, etc... Then testimonials could be given by prominent supporters of our movement, and perhaps a short statement by Your Divine Grace..."

Prabhupada: There is some big, big temples and their proprietor... In every city there are so many Krsna temples. Just like in Kanpur there is very important Dvarakadhisa temple. Many such big cities they have got Krsna and Radha temples.

Tamala Krsna: He says, at the end he would like to get "a short statement by Your Divine Grace in the movie on the importance of the Krsna consciousness movement in the world today. This film could, hopefully, be distributed to schools and colleges, showing that India is full of transcendental knowledge and that this knowledge is meant for the entire world for the benefit of all humanity."

Prabhupada: That I am speaking of, that this, that this knowledge should not be kept locked up. That is my mission.

Tamala Krsna: I think this is an important movie to make, Srila Prabhupada, the way he described it. He says in regard... He says, many people are approaching him with ideas for other films, and he doesn't want to get misdirected, so he's mentioning to you. He says...

Prabhupada: Whose idea is this?

Tamala Krsna: He says they've been requested by the various temples around our Society to film Sudama Maharaja's theater group playing "The Age of Kali" and, perhaps, other plays so that these films could be shown at Sunday feasts, because they can't have the theater group in every temple.

Prabhupada: Oh, it is good idea. Good idea.

Tamala Krsna: You like that idea.

Prabhupada: Hmm, hmm.

Tamala Krsna: He says, "Also these films could be shown on television. 'The Age of Kali' play is especially dramatic and would appeal to a mass audience for television." He says, "In this way we could introduce our philosophy to many millions of people. The players are very expert, and I feel the people in general will appreciate their efforts."

Prabhupada: He can do.

Tamala Krsna: He says he's also eager to help Svarupa Damodara in whatever way he can, because his project is so much stressed by you.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Tamala Krsna: He plans to meet with Svarupa Damodara in Boston when he returns in July to discuss the possible films to make. He says he decided with Svarupa Damodara that it would be best to wait before making a film until they have published their thesis and had some feedback from the material scientists. It's a good point. "Because their theories are always changing, our scientists also have to change their approach. It is for this reason that a film does not seem so suitable for their purposes, because it cannot be so easily changed, as with a slide presentation. Also Svarupa Damodara's presentation is highly scientific, and I feel somewhat dry for the film medium, which is more an artistic medium."

Prabhupada: Yes.

Tamala Krsna: So he frankly admits that it is a little difficult to make a very scientific film, because it may become very, you know, a little bit dry for the...

Prabhupada: Yes. So they may not film. Their lecture is good. That's all.

Tamala Krsna: Right. And slide show accompanying. He says slides are good, but a movie may be too...

Prabhupada: No, no.

Tamala Krsna: He says, "I feel that these points should be carefully considered before taking on a subject..."

Prabhupada: No, no, don't make film. Let them have slide.

Tamala Krsna: Very good. He says, "One last thing. About three years ago Your Divine Grace asked Visakha Prabhu to write a book based on the movie 'The Hare Krishna People.' The book would present the basic idea of the Krsna consciousness movement to people in general."

Prabhupada: Book we... Others are writing. They may not bother.

Tamala Krsna: Okay.

Prabhupada: That is not their business. They are doing very... Slide...

Tamala Krsna: Well, I think you've given him a lot of information that he wanted, Srila Prabhupada. These are the guidances.

Prabhupada: They may not bother, writing book. [end]