Media Release
SBS to Screen "Seduced by Sai Baba"
SBS aired "Seduced By
Sai Baba" - Thursday, February 12, 2004 at 8.30 pm. All non-English content in the film were sub-titled in
English, and there were English voiceovers.
The 54-minute documentary was from Denmark's
national television and radio broadcaster DR. First broadcast on January 30,
2002, it has been screened several times in Denmark and Norway.
The program notice mentions the Sathya Sai
Baba movement's purchase of the famous Arresødal
castle in Copenhagen, which was to have been used as a 'Sai International
School.' However, because of the public
furore upon the documentary's first airing, the Sai Baba purchasers withdrew
from the deal at the last minute, which was accepted by the municipal owners
of the castle, who by then already regretted the sale contract.
DR's Director, Christian Nissen, stood by the professional integrity of the producers, and a series
of litigation cases and various threats by foremost Sathya Sai Baba leaders
Thorbjörn Meyer Jørgen Trygved (Chairman of the ‘Sai International School’
fund board) repeatedly failed in the Danish law courts.
The program advertisement below (was once) also
available at the SBS website:
http://www.sbs.com.au/whatson/index.php3?progdate=12:02:2004
DOCUMENTARY - SEDUCED BY SAI BABA
This program follows an investigation into
alleged sexual abuse of young male devotees by Sri Sathya Sai Baba, an
influential Eastern guru. Denmark's Radio (DR) follows a group of Danes to
the Indian city of Puttaparthi to visit Sai Baba's ashram and visit three
continents in an attempt to investigate charges against Sai Baba of
trickery and sexual abuse of minors. This powerful guru has millions of
devotees worldwide and his influence reaches right to the top of the
political scene and the media. In Denmark, where the Sai organisation can
receive tax-deductible donations as a recognised religious society, they
have bought a castle, and in Puttaparthi Baba has built private hospitals,
a planetarium, his own airport, a music school and higher learning
colleges. DR was not allowed to interview Baba or film in the ashram, so
this documentary relies heavily on films supplied by former disciples. In
their investigation of claims that Sai Baba's so-called "miracles" are
nothing but sleight of hand - they engaged a Danish conjurer who,
supported by video clips of Baba in action, explains these "miracles" as
mere tricks. Sai's devotees include famous actors and politicians from
around the globe. (In Danish, Swedish and English, English subtitles)