Cannes 2018: Subhash Ghai to co-produce Osho biopic

Twenty-eight years after his death, the world continues to be fascinated with the life and teachings of Osho, also known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Yesterday (13 May) at the Cannes Film Festival in France, filmmaker Subhash Ghai and Italian company Navala Productions announced a biopic called Osho: Lord Of The Full Moon. The news was revealed by trade magazine, Variety.

The biopic will be directed by Italian filmmaker Lakshen Sucameli, who has co-written the screenplay with Kamlesh Pandey. Variety also stated that Guido de Laurentiis is the line producer, while Fabio Cianchetti is the director of photography on the film. No cast has yet been announced.

The trade magazine writes that the film "will contain action from the time that India gained independence from British colonial rule, as well as more poetic flashbacks. Beside Osho, the other main character of the film is a female TV journalist who puts her career at stake trying to discover if the guru is a con man, or an enlightened genius. Answering this question changes her life."

Since the 1970s, several documentaries and specials have been dedicated to the spiritual leader. Recently, Rebellious Flower (2016) starring Prince Shah, Shashank Singh and Mantra explored the early life of Osho. This year, a Netflix mini-series Wild, Wild Country gained popularity and notoriety for its depiction of the Oregon commune created by Osho and his followers.

Ghai's last film as director was Kaanchi: The Unbreakable (2014). These days, he is busy managing the film institute, Whistling Woods International, he set up in 2006.