There is an overwhelming Dharma imprint all over the 58-minute film, which works against the subject matter.
What are the chances that the folks at Dharmatic Entertainment, the streaming subsidiary of Karan Johar's Dharma Productions, already know they have goofed up in a big way with Searching for Sheela? Once the credits roll, there lies a conspicuous absence of a 'director' in the film.
I might be speculating here, but it seems like no self-respecting individual wants to be known for directing this glorified V-log parading as a documentary, on one of the most enigmatic pop-culture figures since 2018. When Maclain and Chapman Way's Wild Wild Country released on Netflix almost exactly three years ago, it was a dense, thrilling, and nuanced documentary about a conflict that broke out between a cult and a predominantly white American town in the '80s. Emerging out of this, was Ma Anand Sheela, who captured the imagination of viewers with her fierce loyalty towards Rajneesh Osho, and her colourful language on news shows to defend the very existence of Rajneeshpuram.
Searching for Sheela Release Date :
Searching for Sheela is a 2021 Indian documentary film created, directed and executive produced by Shakun Batra. The film traces the life of Ma Anand Sheela, who was the spokesperson of the Rajneesh movement, after she returns to India after 35 years. The film is produced by Karan Johar's Dharmatic Entertainment and was released on Netflix on 22 April 2021
Searching for Sheela Cast:
Ma Anand Sheela - As a Sheela
Directed by Shakun Batra.
- Writing Credits (in alphabetical order) Shakun Batra
- Produced by. Karan Johar
- Film Editing by. Shubhika Sharma
- Production Management. Chaunce Philipose
- Sound Department. Saumit Deshmukh
- Camera and Electrical Department. Sanket Pawar
- Animation Department. Jishnu Chatterjee
There is an interesting moment where Bina Ramani, while speaking to Sheela, talks about a stressful moment referring to the Jessica Lal murder case. Ramani was a prime witness in the case, and she says something to the effect of knowing what Sheela feels, especially because she had the cameras pointed at her during those few years, as if they were 'animals in a zoo.' Ramani's daughter Malini mentions how all three of them have been to jail, almost like an achievement unlocked. Then she ostentatiously poses with Sheela, renewing Sheela's status as a 'zoo animal' amongst New Delhi's high-profile socialites. Ramani mentions how they have both endured tough times, but that 'God was with us,' something Sheela does not seem to agree with. But we do not hear Sheela voice her doubts.
Searching of Sheela Trailer & Teasers:
Searching for Sheela is so tremendously low on insight and curiosity about someone as fascinating as Sheela that it seems like a criminal waste of an opportunity. It does not even ask the bare basic questions when Sheela is visiting her father's home in Surat. The film has no point-of-view of its own, and it rather relies on the questions of a Barkha Dutt or Shoma Chaudhury, which frankly are not particularly novel either, to carve a narrative.
What we get in the end is Sheela's reticent face through most of the runtime, as she holds on to all her secrets. There is little to no digging that filmmaker do of their own, rather lazily including footage from Netflix’s archives from Wild Wild Country. Sheela occasionally spouts 'profound' nothings like "Redemption lies in guilt. That's why I cannot redeem myself." In the hands of a curious filmmaker, this would have been the starting point for a million questions. For all the hype around Johar buying Sheela's life rights at the behest of executive producer Shakun Batra, Searching for Sheela feels like the result of an impulsive shopping spree.
Searching for Sheela TV Series: release date, cast, story, teaser, trailer, first look, rating, reviews, box office collection and preview.. Published by - The Beyond News (Entertainment).