The Enigma that is not Anu Agarwal but Thomas Hardy's, "Tess of the D'Urbervilles"

In the year 1990 a film from the Indian Film Industry created in the 90's, a widespread 1970's style mood of innocent romantic euphoria. From this movie emerged the image of a woman possessing an indisputable aura of mystique and tantric spirituality.  Recently I came across a photograph of Anu, probably taken when she was 21 year old or so which poignantly brought back lucid memories of my own; how I looked and felt at that age when I was a student at the Poona Film and TV Institute of India. Even the movie that won Anu fame and recognition, "Aashiqui" is a nearly accurate account of my own story, complete with the heroine in the movie living at a women's hostel, just like I did.  Life is strange indeed and my subliminal connection with Anu gets uncannier the more I learn about her.

 This evocative photograph of Anu has a certain impressionistic and existential quality, reminiscent of Nastassja Kinski in "Tess", a Polanski movie, don't you agree?

 

While I was a student at the Film Institute, I had a profound Near Death Experience that totally changed my life; from desiring to be a movie star I became a seeker of the true meaning of life and of the spirit instead (See my "LOGOS" post, Oct. 2012).  Anu has expressed  that she is in the process of writing about her near-death-experience and her subsequent metamorphosis. I kept my near-death-experience close to my chest for nearly 30 years and only recently have I posted it on the internet because I felt that there was a need for it in the world.  I think Anu's account will be extremely interesting as well. Inexplicably she also reminds me of the Indian film actress, Parveen Babi.  Parveen had a relationship with the movie producer Mahesh Bhatt, who coincidentally directed Anu's movie mentioned above.  Parveen Babi was also good friends with the philosopher and spiritual searcher, and researcher, U.G.Krishnamurthy.  U.G. was an amazing man who had a mysterious experience which he called "The Calamity"; an event that completely and irrevocably  changed him, not just mentally and psychologically, but spiritually as well, to his very physiology itself.  From the descriptions gathered from Anu's interview, it is likely that her dissociation, might have some features in common with that of U.G.'s alienation, or sublimation, if you will. On the other hand, perhaps its time for a tentative observation; could it be that the post 1999/post accident Anu is a "walk-in?", not the original Anu? Such events, where the original individuality leaves when confronted with great trauma and another being/soul/individuality takes its place, have been described in esoteric literature and in anecdotal accounts. And yet again, it could simply be a part of the process of recovery.

But before jumping to conclusions, let's wait and see what she has to say about her life before and after the accident in her forthcoming and much anticipated book.

I would also appreciate hearing from anyone who may have any additional knowledge about Anu Agarwal's life, her spiritual calling and healing works.  

Quotes  from Anu's interview

                              

'My life started the day I woke up from the coma'
I was comatose for 29 days. My life started from the day I woke up half paralysed, which is when I didn't even know what the meaning of paralysis was. I existed outside my body. I had many, so called, spiritually amazing experiences throughout that time. And I saw the other side, where death is finality and mortality, normal... where the death angel rules.

'So life just happened to me, I didn't make it happen'
I was here on a holiday and suddenly the talent scout guy saw me at Churchgate station. That's how my first modelling job happened. Then acting happened. So life just happened to me, I didn't make it happen.I have learned that you have to let life happen to you and never oppose it. That's the greatest, most peace-giving realisation. People think they make their lives…. They don't do anything.

India forums

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Anu is the owner and director of an organization called, Come Face-to-Face with You, in the Mumbai area. She is a certified Yogi from the Bihar School of Yoga.- this system of yoga addresses the qualities of head, heart and hands – intellect, emotion and action – and attempts to integrate the physical, psychological and spiritual dimensions of yoga into each practice. She favors an informal education in monkhood and has a background in and involvement with Zen, Buddhist centers and an "Inner School of the Mind" and also works on issues of social assistance.