This oriental fairy tale in opulent pictures tells the story of the Indian prince Gautama (Himansu Rai), who gives up his family, palace, and earthly possessions to find the path to enlightenment on a long wandering journey. Dismayed by the prince’s sudden disappearance, Gautama’s wife (Seeta Devi) sets out to find her beloved husband. He, meanwhile, wanders the country in the rags of a beggar. This monumental film full of enchanting exoticism is about the hardships, experiences and insights on the life journey of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism in the 6th century BC.
As India’s first German-Indian and first ever international co-production, the film was shot at original locations in India. The Maharaja of Jaipur also supported the film team by providing his court, 30 richly decorated elephants, and extras from his people. The result was a poetic masterpiece that beautifully documented the brilliant cinematic collaboration of Orient and Occident. The Berlin Film Review Board accordingly rated the film as “educational and artistically valuable” in the year of its release.