Spent the day visiting Daulatabad (fortress home of Sultan Mohammed Tughlaq), the Ellora caves and various other sights around Aurangabad. Being the only Pakeha on the tour I got an interesting insight into different attitudes. The doctor from Delhi spent most of the tour commenting on how insane Muslims are, building these extravagent structures, knocking down temples and putting in mosques. His forensic examination of the tomb of Aurangzeb was particuarly disturbing. Grilling the blind guide till he got pissed off and ceased communicating with us.
It was my first real exposure to a basic set of opinions held about Muslims relating to cleanliness, condition of their children, their contribution to India, partition etc. What was interesting was the Maharashtran on the tour expressed a much more moderate view privately, that talk like that only ends in trouble for everyone.
We did go to the Shiva temple where my wish was for Amitabh Bachchan to take a role in the film. This was duly conveyed. It was pretty scary, wandering bare chested through a crush of devotees trying to remember what I had been told to do and in what order. I think my vague approximation will have some positive input to the financing process.
At the Ellora caves the whole Ramayana (integral to the film’s story) is carved out along the wall. I just followed along. A great way to learn the guide pointed out.
Do the Ellora caves tell you the ancient mythological turning points… and will it help you sort out the crisis, climax and resolution?
Yeah. Although the story breaks all the rules. The demon gets the girl, the model son dies, the family is broken. Oh, did I mention the incest, although that fits in with a lot of Hindu mythology.