Making
a
good
movie
on
one
of
the
greatest
faiths
in
the
world
is
a
Herculean
task.
At
the
press
conference
of
his
forthcoming
film
Gautam
Buddha,
acclaimed
film-maker
Shyam
Benegal
explained
why
he
took
up
the
challenge.
That
Buddhism
is
followed
by
over
a
billion
people
was
one
of
the
main
reasons
Benegal
chose
the
peacemaker
of
2600
BC
as
his
hero.
The
values
of
compassion
and
humanity
that
Buddhism
preaches
have
ensured
its
spread
over
the
ages.
But
what
fascinated
Benegal
the
most
was
the
"evolution
from
Siddharth
to
Buddha".
"It's
a
magnificent
story
to
tell," reasoned
the
film-maker.
Besides,
the
subject,
Benegal
feels,
is
also
relevant
to
the
world
we
are
living
in
today
–
with
incidents
of
terrorism,
bombings
and
kidnappings
every
other
day.
There
is
a
pressing
need
to
bring
to
life
a
peacemaker
of
the
past,
if
not
in
real
life,
at
least
on
reel.
The
backdrop
of
a
past
era
has
made
it
even
more
interesting
for
Benegal
to
bring
the
ancient
story
on
screen.
At
the
same
time,
Benegal
insisted
that
the
film
is
"by
no
means
a
religious
story",
with
more
stress
on
"the
way
you
live
and
conduct
yourself
in
life".
Benegal
feels
Buddha's
character
is
also
meant
to
inspire
people
as
he
faced
innumerable
hurdles
during
his
transformation
from
Siddharth
to
Buddha.
"His
life
itself
is
a
message," said
Benegal.