The Interesting Story Behind Anupriya’s Entry into Cinema...

Anupriya, a Mumbai based economics graduate from the University of Bath in the UK, entered the film industry through an unexpected path. During her final year, she researched how major technology companies operate and how founders develop new ideas. While working on the project, she came across an article about Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and his reported connection with Neem Karoli Baba, a spiritual teacher from India. She learned that Jobs had visited the Kainchi Dham ashram in Uttarakhand in 1974 and that the experience was believed to have influenced his journey. She also read that Mark Zuckerberg had sought Jobs’ advice during Facebook’s early struggles and was reportedly advised to visit the ashram, which he later said gave him greater clarity about his goal. These accounts encouraged Anupriya to research Neem Karoli Baba further.

She initially planned to present her research through a book or comic, but after returning to India, she met filmmaker Vishal Chaturvedi, who was working on a film based on the spiritual teacher’s life. The meeting changed the course of her career, eventually leading her to become a co-producer of the project instead of pursuing a job in Switzerland. Although her decision initially surprised her father, he supported her after learning about the subject of the film. Coming from a family with a strong interest in art and having been involved in student art, dance and university business societies, Anupriya says storytelling has become an important part of her life. The film reportedly had a slow start at the box office, but positive word of mouth helped collections pick up and the movie went on to become a major success. The Uttarakhand government also granted the film a tax exemption, and the producers have announced plans for a second part.