This is a very good interview to watch. Sir Ben Kingsley has yet more noble compliments to offer the Sikh community and thoughts on the heavens. Patricia Clarkson says that meeting and getting to know the Sikhs is a very very beautiful thing that she will never forget.
At the beginning of the interview Sir Ben Kingsley offers the following thoughts:
"The heavens will look down and see a woman in great distress who's lost her faith. And the heavens will say, 'I know what we'll do. We'll send her this warrior, this pure man. That's what she needs.' And by bringing them together in, as Patricia will tell you, a very confined space, a car
-Which is rather like ferry, in the archetypal ferry-man, who will meet you on one bank of the river, put you in his little boat and take you to the other bank of the river. But you realize as you step off his boat, 'I've learned something, somethings changed in me forever.' The gift of the ferry-man is that he is, or she is, a great teacher, a great giver of life and shower of the way-
So when we get to the end of (the movie) (Patricia's character) is able to say, coming out of utter devastation at the beginning, 'You are my faith'. So that is a remarkable journey that lasts the whole length of the film..."
...
Sir Ben Kingsley: "I was very fortunate when I was filming 'Gandhi' in India to have a Sikh body guard/driver who drove me to the set every day, who protected me on set all day, and drove me home in the evening. He was a man of amazing stillness, very protective, and I certainly drew upon my acquaintance-ship with him over those months, on my portrait of Darwan.
We must be careful of the word 'faith'. I think that his faith allows him to be still. It is not a faith that needs to be hysterically demonstrated. It's not external, it's not externalized. There are scenes in the temple of great stillness, dignity, family unity and enormous respect.
We were allowed to film in a Sikh temple not long after Sikhs were shot in their own temple, so it was a huge gift.
By osmosis, by being with my wonderful driver/bodyguard, by being with one or two Sikh friends, with whom I'm quite close and, of course, our dear Harpreet Singh Tur on the set who put my turban on every day, quietly, with dignity-
Gentlemen, forgive me, may I make a slight generalization: I feel that if you know one Sikh gentleman, you know them all because there's something extraordinarily consistent about their moral compass and their ethics. Would you agree with that? Good, I can go home."
Patricia Clarkson: "I must say, as you know, I've been attached to this film for a very, very long time and I love the character of Wendy, but what I will say is that one of the most beautiful aspects of shooting this film was getting to know this community and getting to know Harpreet. It was an awakening to this incredible and beautiful culture and the fact that they embraced this film and embraced Sir Ben. That was invaluable and incredibly comforting for all of us with the film that we had their blessing, so to speak, with the film. It was a beautiful lesson and journey for me, one that I will carry for the rest of my life, getting to know the Sikh community. It is a very, very beautiful thing."
Then Sir Ben had another thought about the film:
Sir Ben Kingsley: "The very modern (Wendy), meets the very ancient (Darwan), he who will not cut his beard, he who will not cut his hair, he who will always wear a turban and he who carries a sword. It's as if he's traveled thousands of years, Sikhism hasn't been with us that long, but hundreds of years, to be with you. You learn some ancient truths from him, and I learn some modern truths from you, and I hope to impart them to Jasleen my arranged bride. Yes they are equals, yes it's in New York, but the heavens look down to someone who's in distress and say, 'She doesn't want a modern guy, let's not send a modern guy. Let's send a warrior form the past.'
That's just hit me sitting here.
Patricia Clarkson: "What I also love about the film is, as strong as the Sikh community and the beautiful life that is present in this film, at a certain point, this film is really just about two adults. At the end of the day it is about two people of different cultures, but even the cultures fade and it is really just about finding a better life and a better self at the end of the day. I think that's what cheers me most about this film. It is at the very core a film about humanity and how we can cross divides in subtle and simple ways. I hope you find that and see that in the film."