Ozen to play Osho in Bollywood Film!

Finally what some call certainty after the many speculations about who will take on the role of the mystic Osho in the new Bollywood film.

At the beginning of this month, International Business Times wrote that Ranveer Singh would play the role of spiritual guru Osho Rajneesh in Karan Johar’s film. After a few weeks, the Deccan Chronicle offered another version: it would be superstar Aamir Khan, a rumour to be rebutted after two days by the actor himself who dismissed it, according to Pinkvilla.

The mystic Osho had a huge impact on Bollywood celebrities such as Mahesh Bhatt and Vinod Khanna and to get that role would be certainly an honour for many.

We now hear with reasonable certainty that film director Karan Johar has chosen one of Osho’s disciples, Swami Rajneesh (who also goes by the name Ozen Rajneesh), to play the main role. Copy editors will get slightly confused as the Indian Mystic used to be called Acharya Rajneesh and later Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. He only took on the name Osho shortly before his death in 1990. Rajneesh (the disciple) has not yet decided if he will adopt a screen name to make things clearer.

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Who’s Who?!

Karan Johar has chosen Rajneesh because of the many years he has been practising playing the role already, taking on poses similar to those of his master. For many years Rajneesh also practiced walking in the Zen manner through the commune compound in Pune (very slowly and meditatively) that earned him the nickname, Slo-mo.  Rajneesh is now in his early sixties and could easily play Osho’s later years. We have not heard who will be cast for Osho as a child, teenager and young man.

Rajneesh will need to leave behind, at least for the time of the filming that will take place here in Mumbai (dates not yet confirmed), and appoint a temporary manager for Ozen Rajneesh Resort (previously known as Ozen Cocom) in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

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21 Responses to Ozen to play Osho in Bollywood Film!

  1. shantam prem says:

    Has first April extended to whole month?

    • MEERA says:

      It stretches
      from first of april
      which Osho announcend as new year’s beginning…
      to infinity…
      everlasting life…
      never born, never died.

  2. Parmartha says:

    Another April Fool?!
    Either way, fun!

  3. frank says:

    There was a man called Rajneesh
    Who looked just like…er…Rajneesh.
    Some say he is an imposter
    But I nominate him for an Oscar
    He`s an actor who`s found his own niche.

  4. Kavita says:

    Rajneesh may do full justice to the role but I have a doubt if he will trade his real business for reel business!

  5. dhyanraj says:

    Since ‘Wild Wild Country’ came out Swami Rajneesh has had three offers to play Osho in three different movies – from well known Bollywood producers he’s known since they were kids –
    that’s how much interest in Osho there is right now.

    Rajneesh says he will only play himself in a movie if he likes the script and the story is told in tune with Osho.

  6. dhyanraj says:

    I hear one big producer has offered a million and a half dollars for Rajneesh to accept the role – but he won’t do it for money, he tells me, only for love of Osho, and it has to be right – he’s not an actor working for what is to him small money, he can only portray himself.

  7. Chinmayo says:

    We know since the last 2 months Ozen had received 2 big film offers to play Osho. Specially after Netflix the interest in making Osho movie is huge.

    As I know, Ozen was offered $1.5 million US from one Bollywood producer.

    We heard Ozen placed 3 conditions for such a possible role:
    1. That he would do the film without any money and work for Free, just out of Love for his Master Osho.
    2. The movie script had to be a positive message and film on Osho.
    3. That Ozen would just play himself, and to feel comfortable as a real person and not as an actor.

    Looks like it is a may-be and not just April 1st story as people imagine.

    Most of these Bollywood film makers knew Rajneesh as children, and were at his family parties, so it is very easy for Swami Rajneesh to fit into this.

    What a Mystery this has become!!

    • satyadeva says:

      Apart from knowing these Bollywood producers, I don’t see how “it is very easy for Rajneesh to fit into this” as it surely would be “a Mystery” if one of them were to decide to allow him to “just play himself” when the offer is for him to play Osho in a film about Osho, not about Rajneesh.

      Should Rajneesh play himself then I suggest the rather extreme similarity between the two is highly likely to create confusion amongst the audience, especially those who are new to Osho.

      And Rajneesh being a divisive figure among sannyasins I’d expect a considerable number to be underwhelmed rather than excited at the prospect.

      • dhyanraj says:

        Since being himself is being Osho, if the script and storyline is okay, about 30% scandal and 70% positive for Osho, then Rajneesh would be far and away the best man for the part, bringing Osho and his message to life for potentially a mass audience now.

      • Chinmayo says:

        Swami Rajneesh has been a devotee of Osho from the age of 18. You should read ‘Tears of the Mystic Rose’ as it gives insight into the deep inner connection between Master and Disciple. One becomes so close to the Master that his entire persona/aura merges and becomes one with the Master. This clearly shows a real devotee, and only a true devotee who is transformed can play “Himself” or the Master as if One.

        Yet people cannot understand this simple Transmission and Transformation of Ozen, which is another Mystery!

        • swamishanti says:

          The thing I found about the book is it seems to make a big deal over really quite common spiritual experiences for disciples and devotees of masters .

          The energy transmission and/or merger happens to many people and does not imply that the “persona” of Osho is one with the disciple, in the persona will always be individual.

          ‘Persona’ means ‘mask’, the energy of the guru is nothing to do with his personality or mask. The personality of Osho is dead.

          MOD:
          in the persona will always be individual. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN, PLEASE< Swamishanti?

        • swamishanti says:

          I think you may be mistaken if you believe Ozen actually is Osho .

          Osho would play himself perfectly in the role, of course, but any devotee or disciple can only ever try to imitate the role, no matter how similar they feel to Osho.

          • satyadeva says:

            I think this claim that Ozen Rajneesh has “become Osho” needs to be challenged and fully explained rather than just stated as a fact.

            I can accept that when someone you love dies they go inside you. But “become you” is something else entirely. It smacks of wish-fulfilling exaggeration, a convenient, even narcissistic delusion, of self and others, for the purpose of creating and maintaining authority, power.

            • satyadeva says:

              Besides, didn’t Osho declare he’d have no ‘successor’?

              “Nobody is going to be a successor to me. The very idea of succeeding was an idea borrowed from the royal families. Just as kings were succeeded by their eldest sons, it reflected on the tradition of masters also that somebody would become their successor.

              I want to make a complete break. As far as I am concerned, you are all intimate to me. I can afford the intimacy of all of you, because there is no question of any succeeding. Nobody is going to be my successor. I want everybody to be a master unto himself.

              To be a successor is a little humiliating. It is against the dignity of an enlightened man. Neither has he anybody before him as his predecessor nor has he anybody after him who is his successor. He is alone, standing like an Everest; no one precedes him, no one succeeds him.”

              (http://www.oshoworld.com/biography/innercontent.asp?FileName=biography11/11-02-continuation.txt )

            • madhu dagmar frantzen says:

              “I can accept that when someone you love dies they go inside you. But “become you” is something else entirely. It smacks of wish-fulfilling exaggeration, a convenient, even narcissistic delusion, of self and others, for the purpose of creating and maintaining authority, power.”

              Very glad you brought that up here, Satyadeva, thanks.

              Madhu

  8. shantam prem says:

    If a movie called Osho (Acharya Rajneesh) ever hits the studio I can recommend one British lady to play prominent role in master´s household.
    She sings in Hindi/Urdu, simply angelic.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw-ZrBb7URY

  9. Lila says:

    Swami ji had the most beautiful mother, the late Vimmi Kapoor. ❤ he was meant to be in Bollywood anyways, next to Sanjay Datt and Salman Khan!!! Fame is in his blood.

  10. Arpana says:

    @ SwamiShanti, and maybe V.F.

    You made remarks recently about Osho and morality???
    I thought at the time you were alluding to the concepts explored here, in this entry, particularly at the end.

    I can’t find the much more extensive article I wanted, but I’ll keep looking.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Kohlberg%27s_stages_of_moral_development