After Wild Wild Country, Netflix on Monday returned with Searching For Sheela, an upcoming documentary about Ma Anand Sheela, the controversial one-time aide to spiritual leader Osho. She was the spokesperson of the Osho movement in the 1980s and the secretary of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (Osho). The new docu-film explores her journey through India after 34 long years and sheds light on her new life post serving time for her alleged crimes.
With the focus entirely on Sheela and her personality, the film explores her big homecoming as she reminiscing about her early life and looking forward to what’s next! It digs deeper in search of Sheela’s "true self, her life and perspective".
The trailer was unveiled by filmmaker Karan Johar. The director, who is also producing the upcoming documentary along with Netflix, took to his Twitter handle and dropped the trailer, providing the viewers a glimpse into the controversial life of Ma Anand Sheela.
Sharing the trailer, Karan wrote, "You've seen her, you've heard her and you've definitely heard about her. Now she's here to tell you her own story. #SearchingforSheela streaming from 22nd April, only on Netflix."
Take a look:
The nearly two-minute-long trailer of 'Searching for Sheela' opens with a clip of Osho saying, "People who don't commit crime, don't escape like that."
Commenting on the docu-film and her journey, the lead Sheela Birnstiel, said ‘Searching for Sheela’ will give you a glimpse of "my real self, my identity, my life and its evolution over the last 40 years."
"This film is about my journey of returning to my home in India, a journey I have longed for many years. It captures the rollercoaster of emotions I experienced on this journey very well. I am looking forward to sharing my story with the world," she noted.
Executive Producer Shakun Batra adds that the film is an observation and not an "investigative piece".
Batra said, "I have always been very intrigued by Sheela’s extraordinary life and through this documentary we’ve shadowed her as she traveled to India after almost 35 years. This is not an investigative piece, just an observation of a person who has had a questionable past and has always lived life on her own terms."
"We trace her journey as she grapples with society’s expectations of an ex-convict and attempts to re-brand the public opinion of herself. ‘Searching for Sheela’ is a documentary that tries to get a closer look at one of the most sensationalized personalities in India and I am grateful to Netflix for providing us with a platform and a safe space to share her story," he added.
Searching for Sheela premieres on April 22, on Netflix.
