Uniting Through Yoga

A documentary that explores the legacy of Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar, this film will take you on an emotional journey that encompasses the yogic practice and personal life of one of the greatest yoga masters to have ever lived.

  • Vishaal Desai
    Director
    Freedom of Expression
  • Vishaal Desai
    Writer
    Freedom of Expression
  • Mrinal Kapadia
    Producer
  • Devdatt Kapadia
    Producer
  • B.K.S. Iyengar
    Key Cast
  • Vishaal Desai
    Editor
    Freedom of Expression
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 15 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 31, 2019
  • Country of Origin:
    India
  • Language:
    English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Indo Global International Film Festival

    India
    Best Documentary Feature
Distribution Information
  • Gaia
    Distributor
    Country: United States
    Rights: Video on Demand
Director Biography - Vishaal Desai

A filmmaker from Mumbai with an unyielding passion for storytelling, Vishaal is screenwriting alumni of the prestigious London Film School. Over the years, he has accumulated experience as a writer, director, producer and editor, working on an eclectic range of projects, from commercials to short films. He has also produced the award winning HOOQ original TV series ‘Bhak.’

In 2018, he directed and edited his first feature film - a documentary on the renowned yoga guru B.K.S. Iyengar, which won Best Documentary at the Indo-Global International Film Festival.

Vishaal also works extensively as an editor and is currently a graduate student at DePaul University, Chicago majoring in Editing and Post-Production. He is an avid musician, traveller and cook and likes to spend his free time exploring other cultures through the wonders of food.

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Director Statement

This film was partially produced using crowd-sourced interviews and there was no script initially as the narrative had to be built around the experiences and stories of the interviewees. Our goal was to first compile the footage, which included interviews that I shot in India and interviews that were sourced remotely from people across more than 50 different countries. Once we had acquired close to 200 hours of footage in addition to archival footage and images, I proceeded to find and build the story through the edit. In essence, I only had a sliver of a concept i.e. to discover the legacy of this man. And only when I began combing through hours of footage was I truly able to delve into the magnitude of his impact, not only on the world, but also on the practice and perception of yoga itself.