“Somewhere between right and wrong, there is a garden. I will meet you there,” wrote Rumi, the 13th-century Sufi poet, born in the Balkh region of Afghanistan. Centuries later, the Academy Award-winning composer AR Rahman and Hollywood producer Arno Krimmer are uniting to bring Rumi back to life on screen.
On inspiration behind the film, Rahman said, “There are poets and philosophers before Rumi, and then there is Rumi.
Even if you don’t believe or understand every statement from the Masnavi, it is very soul-satisfying, because everything is experienced and it comes from a different place.
If you take the simplest of wounds, it is a place where the light enters. That’s what happens when somebody is really hurt – there’s a new opening for them in their life, or in their spirituality.”
From there, the conversation shifted to non-judgmentalism, a core aspect of Rumi’s philosophy. Quoting Rumi, “Somewhere beyond right and wrong, there is a garden. I will meet you there,” Rahman spoke of a worldview that transcends cultures and faiths.
“We judge, we label, we divide – good, bad. But beyond all of it, the light of God exists in each of us. Irrespective of belief, it connects us at the core of humanity.”
For Arno Krimmer, this film is the fulfilment of a dream he has nurtured for over two decades. Crediting destiny for their meeting, he explained how their shared passion aligned.