Haré Rama Haré Krishna 1971

Set against the rise of the International Hare Krishna movement in the 1970s, this drama follows a Montreal-based Jaiswal family—mom, dad, son Prashant Dev Anand, and daughter Jasbir Jaiswal Zeenat Aman. Differences drive the couple apart, leaving Jasbir with her father and Prashant with his mother. The film traces how the split reshapes the family: the father remarries, brings his new wife home, and Jasbir’s nanny cruelly tells her that her mother and brother are dead. Back in India, Prashant is sent to a boarding school, and his father ensures that none of Prashant’s letters reach Jasbir, hoping to shield her from emotional pain. The result is a growing rift, as Jasbir grows resentful of her father’s distant, business‑focused life and her stepmother’s perceived indifference.

Years later, Prashant has become a pilot. A letter from his father relays that Jasbir, who had rebelled and left home, is now in Kathmandu, Nepal, living among a group of hippies. Determined to bring his sister back, Prashant travels to Kathmandu, only to discover Janice—a sister who has shed her old identity and now spends her days with the same carefree circle, often drinking and using drugs. Janice has no memory of her childhood, and her bond with the hippie community has grown strong.

Janice’s circle rents property from a local landlord, Dronacharya [Prem Chopra], who hides a darker business beneath the surface: the theft and sale of ancient artifacts to foreign buyers. Among the hippies is Michael, the other party who handles the illicit work. Janice’s relationship with a boyfriend named Deepak is strained by misunderstandings, as he suspects Prashant is trying to win her affection. A further complication arises when Dronacharya sets his sights on Shanti [Mumtaz Askari], a local shopgirl who has genuine feelings for Prashant. This love triangle feeds a mounting tension that complicates Prashant’s mission.

Prashant and Shanti eventually elope and marry, a decision that enrages Dronacharya and unsettles the fragile balance in Kathmandu. Meanwhile, a precious idol is stolen from a temple by Michael and hidden in Janice’s house. Prashant secretly witnesses these events, while Dronacharya attempts to frame Shanti by planting another stolen artifact in her home. Rumors spread that since Prashant’s arrival, idols vanish and that he stalks local girls, turning the locals against him.

The city’s police commissioner, a friend of Prashant’s father, receives a warning letter explaining Prashant’s true purpose for visiting. He grows suspicious that Dronacharya is orchestrating the frame against Prashant and Shanti. A search of Dronacharya’s property uncovers a diary with contacts abroad who help move stolen items, and the authorities recover the idol from Shanti’s home, deepening the accusation against Prashant. Shanti, hurt and bewildered, searches for Prashant, while Prashant tries to prove to Janice that he is indeed her brother. Michael overhears their conversation and schemes to shift blame onto them.

As tensions rise, Dronacharya and Michael incite the locals against Prashant, leaving him marked for attack the moment he appears. A confrontation with the mob is narrowly avoided when the police intervene, and the true nature of Dronacharya’s crimes comes to light. Dronacharya attempts to flee but meets his end, outrun by justice. The day’s revelations finally bring Janice face to face with her parents, who have come to see their daughter in her distressed state. Overwhelmed by the sight, Janice runs away and ultimately takes her own life, leaving behind a suicide note in which she professes a deep, enduring love for Prashant and explains that ending her life was the only escape from the turmoil that surrounded them.

This tale blends family estrangement, mistaken identities, and the allure—and danger—of a countercultural world, all set against a backdrop of ancient artifacts and a community in flux. It is a meditation on belonging, the costs of separation, and the painful ways in which families are tested when the past returns with new faces and old wounds.