William H. Kennedy - Sphinx Radio - March 2009

"Now i watched this film, and i've been fascinated with this topic since i was 14 years old, and read 'Autobiography of a Yogi' by Paramahansa Yogananda - who was one of the first eastern people to come to the States and i was really really happy you had some people from his organisation on the programme and you also had some really hardcore scholars - and its the best movie on Jesus in India i've ever seen and i actually have seen a couple others, but this is the most comprehensive, and one thing i want to point out to anybody out there interested in Christian apologetics or just in Hinduism - this is a 'must see' film."

New York Times - 21st December 2008

9 P.M. (Sundance) JESUS IN INDIA (2008) Paul Davids sifts through legends, myths and historical evidence in an attempt to unravel the mysteries of the life of Jesus of Nazareth from ages 12 to 30, an 18-year period that is not described in the Bible. Among the more controversial explanations for these “Hidden Years”: that Jesus may have spent some of this time in India, a theory examined in the book “King of Travelers: Jesus’ Lost Years in India” by Edward T. Martin, whom Mr. Davids follows as he visits holy sites and seeks clues about an ancient text found in a Himalayan monastery. The Dalai Lama; the Princeton theologian Elaine Pagels; and Alan Mitchell and Anthony Tambasco of Georgetown University weigh in.

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Peter Hammond - Hollywood.com

'Jesus In India' is a fascinating and profound film, a deeply spiritual journey certain to make you think and question in ways you never have before.

Leonard Maltin - Film Critic

"A labor of love, sure to find its audience"

SHIRLEY MACLAINE, ACTRESS AND AUTHOR:

“Paul Davids, the director of JESUS IN INDIA, is a very interesting man.  He’s known for his films because they are so controversial.  I loved his film ROSWELL, which starred Martin Sheen.  I loved what he did with it – It was a nominee for Golden Globe as Best TV motion picture.  But this time we’re going to talk about his latest film JESUS IN INDIA.  It’s a subject I’ve been interested in for a very, very long time.  He explores those hidden years of Jesus from ages 12 to 30, which by the way aren’t documented in the Bible at all – we’re not told where Jesus was.  And in so doing, this film explores the legends and the myths and the actual evidence that Jesus’ hidden years were partially spent in India.  Very interesting research, done with some very good people.  This film was a real pleasure for me.  I’m fascinated.”

(from Shirley MacLaine’s Independent Expression Radio, March 16, 2008)

GEORGE CHRISTY, COLUMNIST FOR BEVERLY HILLS COURIER:

“JESUS IN INDIA is Paul Davids’ provocative and long-awaited film about the missing years of Jesus.  It begins with a mystery and awakens us to opening our minds.  Paul gave us the award-winning "SCI-FI BOYS" and "STARRY NIGHT".  As the writer, director, producer, cinematographer and editor of JESUS IN INDIA, he and his associates traveled more than 4,000 miles across India to make this picture.  The film is interspersed with appearances by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, His Holiness the Shankaracharya (spiritual leader of the Hindus), Brother Chidananda (monk of Paramahansa Yogananada’s Self-Realization Fellowship), best-selling author Professor Elaine Pagels of Princeton University and many others.  ‘We risked our lives to get critical footage,’ says Paul, ‘but succeeded beyond our expectations.’ Visually vibrant with images of their odyssey in India, the film is enhanced by an arresting musical score by Brian Thomas Lambert.”  

EDWARD T. MARTIN, AUTHOR OF KING OF TRAVELERS:  JESUS’ LOST YEARS IN INDIA

“When I was young I would ask the Bible school teachers, ‘What about the missing time in the life of Jesus?  From the age of 12 to the age of 30.  What was he doing?  Was he working with Joseph, was he making tables and chairs?  Why don’t they tell us?’  And my Bible school teachers in Texas would just basically say, ‘Well God does not want us to know about that.’”

PROFESSOR ELAINE PAGELS
(Princeton University Department of Religion, Author of Best Selling books including BEYOND BELIEF: THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS)

“It’s certainly possible, as some people say, that Jesus  traveled to India.  One can’t rule it out as a possibility, because we just don’t know.  And it’s certainly a possibility that the teachings of Jesus are closer or sound closer to what we think of as Indian teachings.  One can’t assume that the ancient world was a simple one.  It was a very cosmopolitan one, and there was a great deal of travel.” 

HIS HOLINESS THE SHANKARACHARYA
(Supreme Spiritual Leader of Hinduism, the “Pope” of Hinduism) : 

“Many important religious figures have come here to study at the Jagannath Temple, which is now 2,500 years old here in Puri, India.  Jesus Christ also came here to study.  Jesus, whom we call Saint Issa, studied the Achar Samhita —the Code of Conduct.  He must have met the Shankaracharya of that time.  Jesus studied our teachings of Truthfulness, Mercy, Charity —Serving Others, Compassion and Ethics.  The fact that Hindus made a contribution to Jesus’ learning is not accepted by some people.”

MONSIGNOR CORRADO BALDUCCI, APOSTOLIC NUNCIO OF POPE JOHN PAUL II

“This is the first time I have ever heard about this, in spite of all my studies of theology.  The public life of Jesus we know about from the evangelical books. All we know, we know from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – and from the 12 letters of Saint Paul and the 2 letters from Saint Peter.  They comprise the New Testament—and there is nothing in them about this.” 

HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA: 

“Unfortunately, there are conflicts in the name of religion.  So therefore, religious harmony is very essential.  In spite of different philosophies, or different sort of histories, all traditions carry the same message — the message of love, compassion, forgiveness, , tolerance, self-discipline and contentment.  So these different philosophies come, all aiming to promote these values.  There’s a common message, and all different philosophies have more or less the same aim — to help humanity to promote human values.”