Mumbai:- Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed will prominently appear in a documentary film about world’s only Sanskrit rock band Shanti Shanti….
This will be Zed’s second appearance in a documentary in the recent past. Another documentary, “ARTICLE VI: Faith* Politics* America”, already depicted his historic first Hindu prayer in United States Senate and an interview with him. Produced under Living Biography Media banner, this documentary, which took over two years to make, offered an intense discussion of the role of faith in politics and examination of the religious freedom and intolerance in America. It includes interviews with leading religious voices of USA.
Titled Concert in the Park…, this new documentary being made under the banner The International Enlightenment Festival Inc…., tells the story of American sisters Andrea Devi Forman and Sara Anjuli Forman, singers of Shanti Shanti…, who have never been to India, never had a Sanskrit teacher, and still can spontaneously chant, read, write, and translate Sanskrit since they were nine and seven years old respectively.
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Devout Catholics, Andrea and Sara have also translated and chanted Ave Maria, a traditional Christian prayer, in Sanskrit. They have toured various countries and various states of USA giving packed Sanskrit musical performances. They have been in various television shows, mentioned in various publications, and extensively written about. Their recent sixth album titled Veda… contains shlokas (hymns) from all four Vedas—Rig-veda, Sama-veda, Atharva-veda, and Yajur-veda, some as old as 1,500 BCE.
Robert Henry Forman, one of the producers of this documentary, says that besides Zed, he plans to film other celebrities like actor Richard Gere, actress Catherine Oxenberg, writer Deepak Chopra, musician Sting, etc., in this documentary, and then enter it into the film festival circuit, including Sundance.
Rajan Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, read the groundbreaking first Hindu opening prayer in United States Senate in Washington DC during its 218 years history, and recited the historic first Hindu prayers in California, Arizona, Colorado, Washington, Utah, New Mexico, and Nevada Senates; Arizona House of Representatives and Nevada Assembly. He is Spiritual Advisor to the National Association of Interchurch and Interfaith Families and is well known for his efforts in interfaith dialogue.
