In this cinematic poem, a renowned Serbian/Balkan director/screenwriter makes movie magic when he tackles the subject of an NRI returning to his homeland, the northern Indian state where the land meets the sky (the country of the gods, Dev Bhoomi). The courage of women and the stubborn traditionality of men, as well as an intractable caste system and the struggle for enlightenment, are depicted with clarity and tenderness. A guruji in a Himalayan ashram prompting his devotee not to judge but rather, to know and love human beings, is typecast with the purity and simplicity of life affirmation. The colors are as vivid and wholesome as the mountain air, and the music is beguiling though unsentimental, unlike the standard syrupy songs by Bollywood. The Uttarakhand Himalayas are oddly evocative, to those of us who are familiar with the Balkans, of the ruggedness of the Balkan mountains. In fact, the two locales seem to be linked by a peculiar sense of familiarity in regards to the terrain as well as the treatment of women and attitude towards tradition. Thus, the film seems imbued with a synergic connection between the Balkans and northern India. Dare I conclude that it is very well possible that Serbia is closer to India than to its next- door Hungary?
Review of Land of the Gods
