Banaras A Mystic Love Story (2006): Story, Songs, Singers and Himesh Reshammiya
Banaras: A Mystic Love Story is a 2006 Hindi film directed by Pankaj Parashar. Set in the ancient city of Varanasi, the film combines love, tragedy, spirituality and mystery.
But there is another reason this film deserves attention: its music. The soundtrack was composed by Himesh Reshammiya, and one of the most interesting songs from the movie is "Kitna Pyaar Karte Hain", sung by Himesh himself.
If you enjoy discovering old Hindi film songs and forgotten singers, this soundtrack is worth revisiting.
Table of Contents
- About Banaras A Mystic Love Story
- The Story of Banaras A Mystic Love Story
- Banaras as a Character
- The Mysterious Babaji
- Banaras A Mystic Love Story Songs
- Kitna Pyaar Karte Hain – Himesh Reshammiya
- The Music of Banaras
- Cast and Film Details
- Final Thoughts
About Banaras A Mystic Love Story
Banaras: A Mystic Love Story was released in 2006 and is set primarily in Varanasi, also known as Banaras or Kashi.
The film stars Urmila Matondkar as Shwetambari, Ashmit Patel as Soham, and Naseeruddin Shah as Babaji. Dimple Kapadia and Raj Babbar are also part of the cast.
At first, the film appears to be a love story. However, it gradually moves into deeper territory, dealing with caste, family, death, spirituality and the mysterious nature of existence.
That combination makes Banaras A Mystic Love Story quite different from a conventional Bollywood romance.
The Story of Banaras A Mystic Love Story
The central characters are Soham and Shwetambari.
Soham comes from a very different social background from Shwetambari, who belongs to a wealthy Brahmin family. Their relationship therefore faces opposition not only because of family expectations but also because of the social divisions surrounding them.
Their love develops in the spiritual atmosphere of Banaras, where Soham also comes into contact with a mysterious spiritual figure known as Babaji.
Babaji becomes an important influence on Soham. His conversations and teachings introduce ideas about life, death and the nature of reality.
The love story eventually takes a tragic turn. Soham's death leaves Shwetambari devastated and sends the story in a much more mysterious direction.
What follows is not simply a story about losing someone you love. The film begins asking a much bigger question: Does everything we experience have an explanation that science and ordinary logic can provide?
Banaras as a Character
One of the most memorable things about the film is the way it uses Banaras.
The city is not simply a background for the story. The ghats, temples, Ganges, narrow streets, religious rituals and atmosphere of the city become an important part of the film itself.
Banaras has always been associated with questions of life, death and spirituality. The film makes use of that atmosphere to create a story where the boundary between the ordinary world and the mystical world becomes increasingly unclear.
This is one reason the film can feel very different from a normal romantic movie. The city itself seems to become part of the mystery.
The Mysterious Babaji
Naseeruddin Shah plays Babaji, one of the most intriguing characters in the film.
Babaji is not presented as an ordinary teacher. He appears to possess knowledge that seems to go beyond the normal understanding of time and life.
His encounters with Soham give the film its mystical quality.
One particularly interesting part of the story comes later, when Shwetambari discovers information about Babaji that makes her question everything she thought she knew about her experiences.
This is where the film moves away from a straightforward romance and becomes a story about faith, existence and the possibility of things that cannot easily be explained.
Banaras A Mystic Love Story Songs
The music is one of the strongest reasons to revisit Banaras A Mystic Love Story. The soundtrack was composed by Himesh Reshammiya, with lyrics by Sameer.
There is a good mixture of romantic, devotional, classical and folk-influenced songs in the soundtrack.
| Song | Singer(s) | Type / Feel |
|---|---|---|
| Kitna Pyaar Karte Hain | Himesh Reshammiya | Romantic |
| Kitna Pyaar Karte Hain – Female Version | Alka Yagnik | Romantic |
| Purab Se | Shreya Ghoshal | Classical / Spiritual |
| Ishq Mein Dilko | Sonu Nigam, Sunidhi Chauhan | Romantic |
| Rang Dalo | Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal | Holi / Folk |
| Yeh Hai Shaan Banaras Ki | Sanjeev Abhyankar | Banaras / Classical |
| Bajuband Khul Khul Jaye | Pranab Kumar | Classical |
The soundtrack is particularly interesting because Himesh Reshammiya was already known for his distinctive singing style around this period, yet some of the songs in this film show a softer and more restrained side of his voice.
Kitna Pyaar Karte Hain – Himesh Reshammiya
My favourite surprise from the soundtrack is "Kitna Pyaar Karte Hain Tumhein Sanam, Mere Dil Se Poochh Lo Na."
And here is something that may surprise many listeners: the song was sung by Himesh Reshammiya himself.
Himesh also composed the music for the film, while Sameer wrote the lyrics.
| Song Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Song | Kitna Pyaar Karte Hain |
| Film | Banaras: A Mystic Love Story |
| Year | 2006 |
| Singer | Himesh Reshammiya |
| Female Version | Alka Yagnik |
| Music | Himesh Reshammiya |
| Lyrics | Sameer |
What makes the song interesting is that it does not immediately sound like the high-energy Himesh Reshammiya that many listeners associate with the mid-2000s.
It is a slower, romantic song, and his voice is used in a much more restrained way.
If you discovered Himesh through his famous songs from films such as Aashiq Banaya Aapne or Namastey London, listening to his work in Banaras can be a pleasant surprise.
For me, this is exactly the kind of forgotten Hindi film song that deserves to be remembered.
The Music of Banaras
The soundtrack works because it matches the unusual mood of the film.
There are romantic songs, but there are also songs that connect with the cultural and spiritual atmosphere of Banaras. "Yeh Hai Shaan Banaras Ki", for example, is directly connected to the city and its identity.
"Purab Se" brings a more classical and spiritual feeling, while "Rang Dalo" adds a folk and Holi flavour.
This variety makes the album more interesting than a soundtrack made entirely of conventional Bollywood love songs.
| Musical Element | Examples |
|---|---|
| Romance | Kitna Pyaar Karte Hain, Ishq Mein Dilko |
| Spiritual / Classical | Purab Se, Bajuband Khul Khul Jaye |
| Banaras Culture | Yeh Hai Shaan Banaras Ki |
| Folk / Festival | Rang Dalo |
Banaras A Mystic Love Story – Cast and Film Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Film | Banaras: A Mystic Love Story |
| Release Year | 2006 |
| Director | Pankaj Parashar |
| Lead Actress | Urmila Matondkar |
| Lead Actor | Ashmit Patel |
| Babaji | Naseeruddin Shah |
| Also Starring | Dimple Kapadia, Raj Babbar |
| Music Director | Himesh Reshammiya |
| Lyricist | Sameer |
| Main Location | Varanasi / Banaras |
One small correction that is worth mentioning because it is easy to get confused: Urmila Matondkar plays Shwetambari, while Ashmit Patel plays Soham. The two characters are at the centre of the film's love story.
Final Thoughts on Banaras A Mystic Love Story
Banaras: A Mystic Love Story is not a typical Bollywood romance. It combines love and tragedy with questions about spirituality, death, destiny and the mysteries of existence.
But for me, the film becomes even more interesting when its music is considered separately.
The soundtrack brings together singers such as Himesh Reshammiya, Alka Yagnik, Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal, Sunidhi Chauhan and Sanjeev Abhyankar, giving the album a surprisingly varied sound.
And then there is "Kitna Pyaar Karte Hain" — a beautiful reminder that Himesh Reshammiya's career as a singer had more variety than people sometimes remember.
If you enjoy old Hindi songs, forgotten soundtracks and singers whose work deserves a second listen, Banaras A Mystic Love Story is an album worth exploring.
Sometimes a forgotten song is worth more than another familiar hit.
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