Suleman Daud from Pakistan recalls epic Sri Lankan moment

Now aged 17, Suleman Daud was five years old when he auditioned and was selected to play the role of the Buddha as a child in the internationally award winning Sri Lankan cinematic narrative ‘Sri Siddhartha Gautama.’

Sri Siddhartha Gautama was a cinematic epic Sinhalese, Sri Lankan film released in 2013 on the life of the Buddha co-directed by Saman Weeraman and Chandran Rutnam. The script was a combined effort of Dr. Edwin Ariyadasa, Saman Weeraman, Navin Gunarathne and George Paldona.

Indian national, Gagan Malik was cast as the adult Buddha and Pakistani national Suleman Daud as the young Siddhartha, alongside many other actors and actresses from Sri Lanka and India. 

The film shot at the Light of Asia Foundation in Battaramulla was produced at great personal sacrifice by Sri Lankan architect and promoter of arts and heritage, Navin Gunaratne resorting to him selling his only Colombo house and three cars to complete the making of the film. It received five of the eight awards at 2014 UN Vesak Buddhist Film festival in Hanoi, Vietnam including the Best Featured film, Best Actor award and Best Director award. 

The Harmony page will soon reveal the untold stories within this film and the world peace focused objective of it by publishing discussions with Naveen Gunaratne and Gagan Malik. 

We today feature an exclusive interview with Suleman Daud from Islamabad in Pakistan, who was 5 years old when he auditioned, amongst thousands of children who wanted to play the role of the Buddha as a child. His father, Daud Ehtisham, a Pakistani Diplomat was then stationed in Colombo affiliated to the Pakistan High Commission as Head of Communication and Cultural affairs. Ehtisham was instrumental in promoting the Buddhist heritage of Pakistan, initiating the revival of the legendary Gandhara trail and strengthening Buddhism focused diplomacy between the two countries.

This below interview begins by featuring Rafia Daud, the mother of Suleman, on her decision to allow her then minor son to act out the childhood role of Prince Siddhartha Gautama alongside Ranjan Ramanayake who acted as King Suddhodana and Anjani Perera as Queen Prajapathi.

Following are excerpts. 

By Surya Vishwa 

Q:  What made you take the decision to get your son to audition for the role of the young prince Siddhartha?

A: It was a confluence of factors. Firstly, the casting call was announced while we were living in Sri Lanka, a country deeply connected to Buddhism. It felt like a unique opportunity to immerse our son in a rich cultural experience. Secondly, Suleman himself possesses a gentle and serene demeanour, something the casting team was looking for. His innate calmness resonated with the essence needed for this role making him a natural fit.

Finally, the film itself held a deeper significance for me as a Pakistani Muslim. The Buddha’s message of peace and compassion transcends religion, and I believed it could serve as a beautiful bridge between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, two countries with shared cultural roots.

Initially, I was a bit apprehensive about the reaction from various quarters about my son, a Pakistani Muslim child, playing the childhood role of the most important and revered religious personality in Buddhism. But it proved otherwise and everyone took it in a very positive way and hailed it as a step towards fostering interfaith harmony and tolerance.

Q:  How old was your son then and what was his reaction to be introduced to this cast with other actors?

A: Suleman was five years old and his initial reaction to the audition was a mix of excitement and nervousness. He was mesmerised by the prospect of being on set, surrounded by costumes, lights and giant elephants. However, the unfamiliarity with the rest of the cast and crew initially made him shy. It took some gentle coaxing and reassurance from the directors and Mr. Navin Gunaratne to get him comfortable.

Once he did get comfortable and adjusted to his surroundings, he embraced the experience wholeheartedly. He bonded with the other children on set, playing and learning together. His then two-year-old sister Dania Eshal Daud also ended up being on the sidelines of the set and munched on quite a lot of the guavas in the Light of Asia garden!

The cultural exchange was enriching, and Suleman returned home with a newfound appreciation for diversity and the power of storytelling which we believe would profoundly impact the adult he is growing into.

Q:  How did this whole experience influence you as his mother, to be involved in a film about the Gautama Buddha in a backdrop where your husband was pitching Buddhist heritage of Pakistan to foster a cultural route between Pakistan and Sri Lanka?

A: It was indeed a wonderful experience. To be involved in a film on the life and message of global peace of Siddhartha – the Lord Buddha, had a profound impact on me as a human being living in these troubled times where we witness religion-linked conflicts across the globe. 

Witnessing the dedication and passion of the cast and crew, from all walks of life and backgrounds, instilled in me a deeper respect for cultural understanding and empathy. The film’s message of love, kindness, compassion and the denouncing of prejudice resonated deeply with me, living in a region with a rich Buddhist history. It reminded me that despite our differences, we share the common bond of humanity.

Being part of the film also allowed us to connect with the Sri Lankan people on a deeper level, beyond diplomacy and politics. We learned about their traditions, customs, and beliefs, moulding a strong sense of mutual respect and understanding. This experience reaffirmed my belief in the power of art and storytelling to transcend borders and build bridges between cultures.

Pakistan has a rich historical heritage featuring civilisations and historical sites such as Taxilla, Takhtbhai, Harrapa, Mohenjo Daro and the most ancient site of Mehrgarh dating back to the 9000 BC Neolithic era. Pakistan’s ancient history is richly illustrated by archaeological sites and imposing monuments punctuated all over its length and breadth.

The 3500 years old historic Buddhist sites in the Gandhara region of present-day Taxilla, Sawt, and Mardan districts of Pakistan, present some of the most well-preserved Buddhist monasteries and artefacts in the world.

 We now proceed to the interview with Suleman Daud who is currently 17 years old and living in Pakistan.

Q:  How much do you remember of your acting in this film over 12 years ago?

A: Yes, it’s been a long time since I played the childhood role of the Lord Buddha in the film “Sri Siddhartha Gautama.” I still have some vivid flashes of the experience! I was just five years old then, so it’s like looking through a time tunnel of so many scenes and emotions. I remember the long days on set, the beautiful costumes, and the feeling of being surrounded by adults who seemed like giants! I remember all those uncles and aunties who were the actors from India and Sri Lanka being so kind to me.

Recalling what I remember of those moments I can say it was pure magic! Now that I am a teenager, I realise that playing the young Siddhartha who became enlightened as the Lord Buddha after he reached adulthood wasn’t just about costumes and elephants, though those were awesome. As I grew up I was motivated to learn about this incredible figure and his humanistic message. Even at five, something resonated with me. It sparked a curiosity that’s stayed with me. What I discovered was the importance of being kind, understanding and finding your own path as I understood even then that this was the message the film was trying to show as key teachings of the Buddha.

As a teenager now, I think that’s what the Buddha would want; for everyone to find their own inner light. Being a Muslim, I have been raised with similar Islamic teachings of compassion, kindness and humanity towards fellow human beings. 

Q:  Had you heard of the Buddha before the film?

A: Not in detail. Although I heard my father talking at home about the Buddhist heritage linkages between Pakistan and Sri Lanka which he was promoting. I wasn’t familiar with the Buddha’s life story. I knew he was a revered figure, but the specifics were a bit fuzzy considering my age! However, playing the role became a fascinating journey of discovery. I read children’s books and even watched documentaries about the life of the Enlightened One, the Buddha. I also learnt Sinhala as the movie was in Sinhala and I loved that experience too! 

Indeed I can say that being associated with Siddhartha – the Lord Buddha sparked a serious interest in learning more about Buddhism, a pursuit which I will continue as I grow older. I am still learning, still trying to understand the world and my place in it. But I carry that spark of compassion, that sense of wonder, with me. Who knows, maybe someday I will return to the set, not as a five-year-old prince, but as a storyteller, sharing Lord Buddha’s message with a new generation.

Q:  What was the most fun aspect and most scary incident, if any, that took place during screening?

A: The most fun part of filming was definitely getting dressed up in those beautiful, beautiful costumes. Those rich headgear I had to wear as headpieces the baby Buddha wore because he was a prince, I found was really nice. I also loved the flowing robes. It felt like transforming into someone special. I remember running around the set, using wooden swords, playing with the lady who played my mother’s role in the movie. I felt like I was living in a fairy tale. I still remember the Sinhalese phrases which I had to say for my role. For example;

“Kurula maerila, eke mata attatama dukak” (This is relating to the child Siddhartha’s sorrow expressed over a dying bird). 

As for scary moments, there weren’t really any but I was very shy in the beginning and so some situations were a bit overwhelming. But honestly, the whole experience was pretty magical.

The highlight for five-year-old me were the elephants. They were like living mountains, draped in silk and bells, their trunks swaying like gentle giants. I was a bit scared at first because they were so big, but the mahout, this kind man with a weathered face, guided me right up to the biggest one. Her eyes were like pools of ancient wisdom. Her skin was warm and rough, like moss-covered stones. I remember feeling this rumble, and the deep purr that just washed away all my fear. It was like we were speaking a silent language, one of kindness and wonder. It was sweet, but a little overwhelming for the child I was. So, this film helped me bond with not just humans but the grand animal world of elephants. 

I once again thank uncle Navin for the wonderful opportunity and say hi to all those uncles and aunties who became a kind of adopted family for me for a short time.  

Q: Have you decided who you want to be when you are older?

A: Not really. Everyone keeps asking that! It’s like, come on, I’m only 17. Being in A-levels is pretty intense, especially with Maths, Physics and Computer Science. My brain feels like it’s gonna explode sometimes! But between the mind-bending physics concepts and coding like a maniac, there are moments where it all clicks. It’s pretty cool, you know. Like building a mini universe with code, or figuring out the secrets of the cosmos with equations.

Part of me wants to use this techie stuff to create something epic, like design some AI or something. But then there’s the whole space thing – Physics makes black holes seem way less scary and way more awesome. Maybe I could be an astronaut-programmer, designing robots to explore Mars! But one thing’s for sure, though, whatever I do, it has to be something that makes the world a better place. 

Realistically, I should probably figure out a proper university course soon. Wish me luck!

Note: The Harmony page team indeed wishes Suleman Daud all the luck in the world and thank his family for facilitating this interview which we hope will help in promoting values of peace as well as inter-cultural and inter-spiritual understanding in our warring world.