FILM
DOCUMENTARY
OF
DR. BHAGAT SINGH THIND
It was a wish of my dear mother and myself that the world could be shown on
film the life and spiritual teachings of Sat Guru Dr. Bhagat Singh Thind
(October 3, 1892- September 15, 1967). His emergence as one of the greatest
spiritual teachers of the 20th century has left an indelible legacy for
seekers of truth to follow.
Now almost 40 years after his liberation, his books, booklets, and lecture
series are being sold and istributed around the world, and now finally the
start of his long awaited documentary of his life is becoming a reality.
Filming began in December 2004 and 2005 at Dr.Thind's birthplace and family
home located in the village of Taragarh near Jandiala Guru, district of
Amritsar, Punjab, India. The present day Thind family headed byCharan
Singh Thindstill occupies and lives in the same house where Dr. Thind was born
and raised by his mother and father, Icer Kaur and Boota Singh Thind. The
love and reverence shown by his relatives in India shed a bright light on
his recognition as a true savior and sat guru.
We filmed his beloved Khalsa College while in Amritsar interviewing the
president and resident professors where Dr. Thind is being honored with the Dr.
Bhagat Singh Thind scholarship Fund, whose mission is to help students
in need of financial support. Lastly we filmed the Holy Golden Temple
(pictured right), where Dr. Thind's father is being honored as a freedom
fighter for India's independence.
In 2006 we filmed the Punjabi American festival in Yuba City, California
where Dr. Thind was honored for his efforts in citizenship rights on behalf
of all South Asians. Filming commenced in Washington DC where Dr. Thind is
honored each year by SALDEF (Sikh
American Legal Defense and Education Fund), for the
Bhagat Singh Thind Community Empowerment Award,
which
recognizes contributions by a Sikh in keeping with the Sikh spirit and
tradition of Seva (selfless service).
The film will detail Dr. Thind's arrival in the United States at Seattle,
Washington in 1913 and his first means of employment as a laborer in the
lumber mills of Astoria, Oregon (known as Hindoo Alley). This humble job
gave doctor the means to obtain enough money to study and obtain his degrees
at the University of California, Berkeley.
Dr. Thind wanted to become a lawyer here in the United States but needed to
become a citizen to obtain this degree, which marks his famous saga of
obtaining his citizenship which was granted and taken away twice, leading to
one of the most studied cases of the United States Supreme Court of 1923.
Dr. Thind challenged the court to become a citizenship based on being a free
white man. He entered the army in 1918, being one of the first Sikhs to
serve in the United States army, which would eventually be the only means of
finally becoming a citizen in 1936 in the state of New York.
The remainder of the film will be based on his actual spiritual teachings
depicting the transmission of truths that he gave to over 5 million
Americans during his 56 years of teaching based on Spiritual Science or Sat
Mat, the teachings of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism.
With God's grace the film will be ready for public television and
distribution by 2008.
View
pics of current film project