Decoding Deepak

Journalist and filmmaker Gotham Chopra spends a year traveling the world decoding his father Deepak Chopra, resolving the spiritual icon he is to the world versus the real man known to his family. What starts as an intimate biopic becomes a deeper plunge into the meaning of identity itself.

Film-maker and journalist Gotham Chopra embarks on a year long roadtrip with his father Deepak Chopra in an attempt to resolve the spiritual icon he is to the world vs. the real man known to his family. From devoted disciples that range from Lady Gaga to lost souls searching for themselves in the red rock deserts of Sedona, Gotham begins to paint a raw portrait of his dad that only a son can. The film travels across the planet chronicling colorful Deepak activities – from a traditional monk ordainment in Thailand to a literal decoding of ancient family registers in rural India. On the homefront, Gotham also takes a closer look at the expansive spiritual empire his father has built over his 25 year career that initially was conceived out of Deepak’s own deep personal and spiritual dissatisfaction, and a decidedly non-spiritual (and boozy) origin.

Ultimately what emerges is a picture of a Deepak that while reminiscent of other popularized Indian gurus, is more dad than demigod. Full of flaws, foils, intelligence, and irreverence, the decoded Deepak uncovered by his son’s honest scrutiny of him is a symbol of a world searching for answers in the most unlikely places and a deeper plunge into the meaning of identity itself.