Date: December 3, 2025
For the next two months, the Dean’s Commentary will feature text by VTS and GTS faculty members writing about what they are currently teaching, reading, or writing about.
An extended and bloody crucifixion filled with Catholic imagery and intermixed with flashbacks within a film promising transformation through an encounter with Jesus – this is not a description of The Passion of the Christ but rather a Jesus film released in India more than thirty years before: Karunamayudu (Telugu for “The Compassionate One”).
As I was writing my book Film and Bible: An International and Intercultural Exploration during my sabbatical last year, I noticed that much of the academic literature on Gibson’s blockbuster outlines its dependence on Western sources such as the writings of Emmerich, European artworks, and horror films. Largely unrecognized, however, is the debt that it owes to Karunamayudu. Although the work is mostly invisible in film scholarship, it is estimated that over 150 million people have viewed Karunamayudu and it continues to be popular in India today. Last March I wrote a proposal to give a paper at the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature setting out the similarities between The Passion of the Christ and Karunamayudu with regards to their unique treatment of the Jesus story stemming from Catholic theology, Indian cinematography, and Hindu worship practices.
My work with this film was greatly supported by two VTS students. Since the film hasn’t been dubbed into English, I was grateful that the Rev. Allen Vijjeswarapu (VTS 2025) took the time to translate some of the dialogue. In addition, Anna Milton, currently a 2nd year MA student at VTS, helped to research the film book. I was very proud that she came to this year’s SBL in Boston so that we could co-present the paper in the Bible and Film section (and she was great!)
If you are interested in seeing a Jesus film informed by Bollywood sensibilities from almost 50 years ago, I recommend that you search for Karunamayudu on YouTube. Be prepared that it’s on the long-ish side, with duration a value in Indian film culture. In addition, although there is no English version of the film, the joyful “Alleluia”s in the final scene as Jesus ascends into heaven needs no translation and the tune is so infectious that you’ll be singing it all day long.
Melody D. Knowles, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer
Associate Professor of Old Testament
Virginia Theological Seminary and The General Theological Seminary