Swami Anandatheerthan: Sanyasi And The Rebel

In South India, in the early 20th century, a solitary figure emerged as the unlikely architect of a social revolution. This documentary delves into the life of Swami Ananda Theerthan, a reclusive social reformer from North Kerala. The sole mission of his life: ending the practice of untouchability everywhere that he sees it.

Born in 1909 to wealthy, upper caste parents, he first encountered the evils of caste in his University years, as he joined the anti-colonialist movement. He met with Mahatma Gandhi, became the very last disciple of Narayana Guru, and established an Ashram in Payyanur. Travelling up and down the state, he brought lower caste children to this ashram and gave them a home. Meanwhile, his relentless crusades led him beyond Kerala's borders into Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, forever getting beaten up by upper caste henchmen. He stood unflinching against this social injustice until his very last breath.

Yet, this maverick sanyasi, who stood vehemently against all the evils of institutionalised religion and caste, receives barely a mention in the annals of Kerala's renaissance. Pieced together through the poignant reflections of his own students, this film is a tribute to a Swami who devoted his life not towards the divine, but towards the dignity of the downtrodden.