How Are Dalai Lama, Brad Pitt Connected? Deets Inside

Tibetan

spiritual leader Dalai Lama was honoured with a Grammy Award in the best audiobook category for Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. At the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright received the award on his behalf. The ceremony was held in Los Angeles on February 1. A lot is known about him publicly. But there's a lesser-known fact about how the Dalai Lama and Hollywood star Brad Pitt are connected. Their association dates back to the 1997 film, Seven Years in Tibet. Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, the movie was a biographical war drama.

Dalai Lama, Brad Pitt connection

Based on Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer's 1952 memoir of the same name, the film featured Brad in the lead role. Co-starring David Thewlis, Seven Years in Tibet was about Heinrich's experiences in Tibet from 1944 to 1951. Produced by TriStar Pictures and Mandalay Entertainment, the 1997 film explored the story of Heinrich and Peter Aufschnaiter mountaineering in India in the 1930s.

In an unfortunate turn of events, during World War II, Heinrich and Peter's German citizenship resulted in their imprisonment in British prisoner-of-war camp in the Himalayas. Cut to 1944, the duo escaped the prison, crossing the border into Tibet. After initially being order to return to India, they are welcomed to Llhasa. It is at this holy city where Heinrich is introduced to the 14th Dalai Lama in his youth. In 1945, he is invited to the Potala Palace where he becomes the Dalai Lama's tutor in world geography, science and Western culture. It is during this time that Heinrich becomes a close friend to the the spiritual leader. In this film, Jamyang Jamtsho Wangchuk played the role of 14-year-old Dalai Lama while Sonam Wangchuk played the character at 8 and Dorjee Tsering essayed the role of four-year-old Dalai Lama.

Where to watch Seven Years in Tibet on OTT?

Featuring Danny Denzongpa, Mako, BD Wong, Victor Wong, and others, Seven Years in Tibet now streams on a leading OTT platform. If you wish to revisit this movie, you can watch it on Netflix.

Films based on Dalai Lama

Meanwhile, Kundun is a Martin Scorsese film based on the life and writing of the 14th Dalai Lama. The film was written by Melissa Mathison. Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong played the role of the Dalai Lama in this movie. It was theatrically released on December 25, 1997. It was collectively produced by Touchstone Pictures, Cappa Productions, De Fina Productions.