When the world’s most famous band The Beatles made their seminal trip to India in 1968, not only did it inspire a new musical direction for the band, it paved the way for a brand new sound that still resonates across cultural and musical landscapes to this day.
Now a new, award-winning feature documentary The Beatles and India from Silva Screen Productions and Renoir Pictures explores the lasting legacy from their ground-breaking visit to Rishikesh. It sheds light on how India shaped the development of the greatest ever rock band and their pioneering role in bringing together two vastly different cultures.
The film is set for its UK digital release on 4 October, courtesy of 101 Films and will also screen at select Everyman Cinemas on 31 August as part of their Everyman Music Film Festival.
This unique historical film chronicles the enduring love affair between The Beatles and India that began more than half a century ago. The Beatles and India follows a rarely seen, fascinating time in John, Paul, George and Ringo’s career and brings it to life with archive footage, recordings and photographs, alongside eye-witness accounts, expert comments and visually stunning location shots.
In 1968 the legendary band brought their Western celebrity circus to a remote Himalayan ashram in Rishikesh in search of spiritual enlightenment. What happened next had a profound effect on the whole band… and the whole world.
Inspired by Ajoy Bose’s book, Across The Universe - The Beatles In India, British Indian music entrepreneur Reynold D’Silva has taken the amazing saga further by producing Bose’s directorial debut. Bose and cultural researcher, co-director, Pete Compton, have created an audio-visual presentation that stands apart from the many documentaries on the band, delving deep into the most crucial period of their evolution from the world’s most famous pop stars into multi-faceted pioneering musical artists.
The documentary won Best Film Audience Choice and Best Music in Tongues On Fire, the 2021 UK Asian Film Festival, where it premiered earlier this year.
An accompanying album, Songs Inspired By The Film The Beatles And India performed by Indian artists and the score album will be released on Silva Screen Recordson 29 October, along with a DVD and Blu-ray release of the film from Cherry Red.
Released on digital 4 October 2021