This 1972 film, co-written and directed by Conrad Rooks, is based upon Herman Hesse's 1922 novel of the same title. The story follows a young Brahman's son in India as he goes out into the world and seeks his own path of enlightenment. Sticking very closely to the original manuscript, the movie lovingly depicts Siddartha's transformation from a wandering forest Samana, an ascetic; to a merchant's apprentice who is very much in love with Kamala, a courtesean; then to his transformation from this city life to that of a ferryman living on a great river.
Siddhartha is accompanied by his longtime friend and shadow Govinda, who later leaves Siddhartha's side to follow the Buddha after seeing the him speak in person. It reminded me of Ben-Hur in the way the film took place during a time when a great leader (Jesus) walked the land, but centered around a different character.
An interview with Conrad Rook, the movie's writer.
Although the film is American, the entire cast is Indian and was filmed mostly on location. Shashi Kapoor does a noteworthy job depicting this Indian Everyman as he journeys through his life. Simi Garewal (Kamala)and Romesh Sharma (Govinda, Siddhartha's “shadow”) both give very emotional performances. However, it is the cinematography and soundtrack that really make this dated film worth another viewing. The nature scenes of the river and the landscape of India create a sense of serenity and help the viewer to understand empirically the character of the people of that land and time.Vast scenic rivers, bright natural lighting, and slow, moving picturesque camera angles entranced me throughout the entire film. Hemanta Mukherjee composed and performed the music for Siddhartha; the Indian flute and chanting capture that innate spiritualism present in every walk of life depicted in the film.
As a lover of the book Siddhartha I was most pleased with this cinematic retelling.There are a couple of moments that I can only describe as “'70's,” but they are easily forgivable when compared with the beauty of the story itself.
This 1972 film, co-written and directed by Conrad Rooks, is based upon Herman Hesse's 1922 novel of the same title. The story follows a young Brahman's son in India as he goes out into the world and seeks his own path of enlightenment. Sticking very closely to the original manuscript, the movie lovingly depicts Siddartha's transformation from a wandering forest Samana, an ascetic; to a merchant's apprentice who is very much in love with Kamala, a courtesean; then to his transformation from this city life to that of a ferryman living on a great river. 
