Documentary on Swami Vivekananda comes to public television

For the first time in American television history, PBS.org and Public Television stations nationwide will broadcast a major documentary on Swami Vivekananda titled “America’s First Guru.”

This compelling new film by Raja Choudhury tells the remarkable story of Vivekananda’s journey to America in 1893 and the spiritual and cultural revolution he single-handedly brought about in just six short years, according to a media release .

Now streaming on PBS.org and the PBS App, and airing on PBS World and Public Television stations through May and the summer, “America’s First Guru” tells the compelling story of how Yoga and the highest ideals of Hinduism first entered the popular American conversation in 1893 with the arrival of Swami Vivekananda at the First World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago.

He taught universality, tolerance, pluralism, and the acceptance of all faiths as true. His teachings were rooted in the deep Indian philosophies of Yoga and Vedanta, and he opened the door for American women, creatives, and people from diverse backgrounds to discover their inherent divinity. He changed the way the West saw themselves and the way Americans saw India forever. In six short years, he became America’s First Guru.

WTTW Chicago became the presenting partner three years ago, recognizing the significance of Vivekananda’s mission, which began in Chicago.

The film began production in the winter of 2022 with major funding and underwriting from The Dharma Endowment Foundation (Michael Singer), Sumir Chadha, Surja Bose, and many others. New York actor Samrat Chakrabarti brings Swami Vivekananda to life in the film, which also features appearances by Swami Sarvapriyananda, Swami Medhananda, Swami Savadevananda, Ruth Harris, A.L. Bardach, Jeffery Long, and Phil Goldberg.

Director Raja Choudhury, a National Film Award-winning filmmaker from India, was introduced to Swami Vivekananda by his father while growing up in Africa.

After moving to New York in 1998, he studied closely with the renowned Ramakrishna Mission monk, Swami Adiswarananda. Choudhury was surprised by how little people knew about Vivekananda, the pioneer who brought Yoga to America. This inspired him to make the film, a project that took ten years to fund and bring to Public Television.

This documentary marks a significant milestone for Indian-American storytelling on television, initiating an exciting journey of sharing stories about the diaspora and the enduring influence of Indian wisdom in everyday life, according to the release.

To stream “America’s First Guru,” visit PBS.org. For more information on the film, the filmmakers, public showings, broadcast schedules, and the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, Vedanta, and Yoga, visit http://www.americasfirstguru.com.