What Is Haré Rama Haré Krishna About?
The premise of Haré Rama Haré Krishna in 275 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the vibrant wake of the 1970s International Hare Krishna movement, a Montreal family is pulled apart by love, ambition and distance. The parents’ separation leaves their children to grow up in opposite worlds: the boy with his mother and the girl with her father, each feeling the quiet strain of a house divided. Years later, the boy has become a pilot, while the girl—now drifting far from the life she once knew—has vanished into the kaleidoscopic streets of Kathmandu, where a bohemian community of wanderers and seekers has taken her in.
Determined to bridge the gap that time and silence have widened, Prashant boards a flight to Nepal, intent on finding his sister and coaxing her back home. He discovers that she has adopted a new name, Janice, and lives among a loose‑knit circle of hippie travelers who share music, philosophy and a carefree rhythm that feels both intoxicating and alien to his orderly sensibilities. Their world pulses with color, incense and spontaneous gatherings, placing his structured, duty‑bound mindset at odds with the fluid, open‑hearted lifestyle that now surrounds his sister.
The film balances a gentle melancholy with the bright, almost surreal atmosphere of Kathmandu’s streets and cafés, inviting the audience to feel the tug of familial duty against the lure of self‑discovery. As Prashant navigates cultural misunderstandings and the delicate art of persuasion, the story explores how longing, identity, and the promise of reunion can clash with the powerful currents of a counter‑cultural moment. The tone remains wistful and contemplative, hinting at both the challenges and the possibilities that arise when two very different lives converge in a place where tradition meets free‑spirit.
What Happens in Haré Rama Haré Krishna?
The complete story of Haré Rama Haré Krishna, from the first scene to the last, in 648 words (about 3 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 2 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
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.
Haré Rama Haré Krishna Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
13 key events in the order they happen, from “Family separation and custody split” to “Janice’s reunion and tragic suicide”. 12 events name a place, across 4 locations.
- 1
Family separation and custody split
In the 1970s, the Jaiswal family’s life in Montreal fractures as the parents separate. Jasbir stays with her father, while Prashant goes with his mother, setting the stage for years of distance and misunderstanding between siblings. The atmosphere is colored by the broader rise of the Hare Krishna movement in the background.
When:1970s Where:Montreal
- 2
Prashant and mother relocate to India; Jasbir remains
Prashant and his mother travel to India to start anew, while Jasbir remains behind with their father in Montreal. The long separation deepens the emotional rift between the siblings. The father soon remarries and brings his new wife into the family home.
When:late 1970s Where:India
- 3
Father remarries and maintains a separate home
Mr. Jaiswal remarries and brings his new wife to live in the family home. The arrangement complicates the household, and Jasbir’s isolation grows as Prashant’s ties to Montreal fade. The family rift widens in the wake of the remarriage.
When:late 1970s Where:Montreal
- 4
Nanny delivers a crushing falsehood
Jasbir is told by her nanny that her mother and brother are dead, a cruel lie that shatters any remaining sense of closeness. The falsehood heightens her loneliness and deepens her sense of abandonment. This event foreshadows the later collapse of the family bonds.
Where:Montreal
- 5
Prashant in boarding school; letters blocked
In India, Prashant is sent to boarding school as his father tries to keep him separated from Jasbir emotionally. He is kept from writing letters to Jasbir, which prevents any reassurance or reconciliation. The lack of contact leaves both siblings with unresolved grief.
Where:India
- 6
Years later: Prashant becomes a pilot; a hint of Jasbir’s fate
Decades pass and Prashant grows up to become a pilot. He receives a letter from his father claiming that Jasbir is in Kathmandu among a group of hippies. The message reopens a thread to a past that had been kept hidden for years.
- 7
Prashant travels to Kathmandu and meets Janice
Prashant lands in Kathmandu determined to find his sister, but instead encounters Janice, a sister with a new name who cannot recall their childhood. Janice remains in the company of hippies, spending much of her time with alcohol and drugs. Prashant struggles to convince her of their blood tie.
Where:Kathmandu, Nepal
- 8
Drona's idol theft operation and Janice's circle
Janice lives on a property rented by Drona, whose real business is stealing artifacts from Kathmandu and selling them abroad. Michael handles the dirty work for him. The hippie circle around Janice provides cover for their illicit activity.
Where:Kathmandu
- 9
Prashant and Shanti marry
Prashant forms a bond with Shanti, a local shopgirl who reciprocates his feelings, and the couple elopes and marry. Deepak, Janice’s on-and-off boyfriend, misreads Prashant’s intentions and the two men end up in clashes whenever they meet. The tensions add to the volatile atmosphere in Kathmandu.
Where:Kathmandu
- 10
Idol theft and its concealment
A precious idol is stolen from the local temple by Michael, who hides it inside Janice’s house. Prashant secretly observes the unfolding events, unable to intervene without exposing the family. The theft becomes a catalyst for a broader conspiracy against Prashant.
Where:Kathmandu
Show the other 3 events of Haré Rama Haré Krishna Hide the last 3 events
- 11
Drona frames Shanti and spreads rumors
Drona tries to frame Shanti by secretly planting another stolen artifact in her home and spreads the rumor that Prashant is behind the theft and stalking local girls. The locals’ suspicions grow, and Prashant’s position becomes increasingly precarious. The mounting accusations put further strain on his marriage to Shanti.
Where:Kathmandu
- 12
Police action and exposure of Drona
The police commissioner—friend of Prashant’s father—uses a search warrant to raid Drona’s property and recovers the stolen artifact along with a diary listing international contacts. Shanti is deeply hurt by the blame placed on Prashant and searches for him. Drona’s deceit is exposed when he dies while trying to flee the police.
Where:Kathmandu
- 13
Janice’s reunion and tragic suicide
When Janice finally sees her real parents, she realizes that Prashant is her brother, a truth that shatters her. The revelation drives her to run away and die by suicide, leaving a note confessing her deep love for Prashant and explaining that ending her life was the only escape from the painful situation.
Where:Kathmandu
Who Are the Main Characters in Haré Rama Haré Krishna?
6 characters, among them Jasbir Jaiswal / Janice (Zeenat Aman), Prashant Jaiswal (Dev Anand) and Dronacharya / Drona (Prem Chopra): who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
- JJ
Jasbir Jaiswal / Janice (Zeenat Aman)
Played by Zeenat Aman
Jasbir, later known as Janice, is the Montreal-raised sister who loses memory of her family and drifts with a hippie circle in Kathmandu. Her transformation and detachment from her past drive the emotional core of the story, culminating in a painful recognition of her origins.
- 🎭 Identity
- 🧭 Family
- 💫 Transformation
- PJ
Prashant Jaiswal (Dev Anand)
Played by Dev Anand
Prashant is the devoted brother who travels to Kathmandu to find his sister, navigating a web of deception and danger to reunite the family. He embodies duty, resilience, and a sense of responsibility that anchors the plot.
- 🧭 Quest
- 👨👦 Family
- 💪 Duty
- D/
Dronacharya / Drona (Prem Chopra)
Played by Prem Chopra
A charismatic yet ruthless local landlord who runs a theft ring and schemes to frame others to protect his crimes. He embodies deceit and abuse of power within a community.
- 💎 Crime
- 🕵️♂️ Deception
- 🗝️ Power
- S(
Shanti (Mumtaz Askari)
Played by Mumtaz Askari
A local salesgirl who harbors feelings for Prashant, later entangled in the fraud and accusations surrounding the theft. Her relationships and misgivings add emotional complexity to the conflict.
- 💘 Romance
- 🧭 Loyalty
- PC
Police Commissioner (Iftekhar)
Played by Iftekhar
A friend of the Jaiswal family who eyes the mounting accusations against Prashant and ultimately aids in exposing Drona's crimes. He provides investigative perspective and jurisdictional authority.
- 👮 Law
- 🔎 Investigation
- YJ
Young Jasbir (Baby Guddi)
Played by Baby Guddi
The childhood version of Jasbir establishes the family bonds and emotional stakes that propel the later narrative. She represents the innocence that contrasts with the adult conflicts.
- 🧒 Childhood
- 🕊️ Family
Where and When Is Haré Rama Haré Krishna Set?
Haré Rama Haré Krishna is set in Montreal and Kathmandu (1970s). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
1970s
The narrative unfolds against the rise of the International Hare Krishna movement in the 1970s. The period features a modern urban milieu in Montreal and traditional-influenced Kathmandu, shaping the characters' choices and lifestyles. It showcases a era of counterculture, shifting family dynamics, and global travel.
Where
Montreal, Kathmandu
The Jaiswal family is based in Montreal, reflecting a Western urban backdrop. Portions of the story unfold in Kathmandu, Nepal, where the hippie community and the temple theft plot drive events. The film juxtaposes a Canadian home with South Asian environments, highlighting cultural contrasts of the era.
- 🗺️ Montreal setting
- 🕌 Kathmandu setting
What Are the Themes of Haré Rama Haré Krishna?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Family, Identity and Crime & Deception.
-
01
Family
Two siblings are separated by parental decisions, forcing them to search for each other across continents. The story probes how distance and misunderstandings test loyalty and responsibility within a family. Reunion attempts reveal the fragility of kinship under pressure, culminating in emotionally charged revelations.
-
02
Identity
Janice adopts a new name and lifestyle among the hippies, losing contact with her past. Prashant's quest to locate his sister confronts questions of memory, belonging, and what defines a person. The film examines how environment and choices reshape identity.
-
03
Crime & Deception
The plot centers on stolen artifacts and a scheme to frame Prashant for theft. Drona and his associate manipulate locals and authorities to conceal their crimes. The tension builds through investigation, misdirection, and eventual exposure of the culprits.
What Kind of Film Is Haré Rama Haré Krishna?
Melancholic in tone, with steady pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Melancholic
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- Medium
- Ending
- Sad
A melancholic and dramatic family saga set against the 1970s hippie movement, blending a tense crime plot with a deeply heartbreaking story of reunion and tragic loss.
- melancholic
- dramatic
- nostalgic
- heartbreaking
- tense
- searching
- family estrangement
- hippie counterculture
- long lost siblings
- drug use
Content notes: suicide, drug use, false accusation.
Quiz
How well do you remember Haré Rama Haré Krishna? Test yourself on the story.
