Zen Katha:the Story Of Bodhidharma

Zen Katha tells the story of how Bodhidharma, born a prince in the south Indian kingdom of Kanchipuram in the fifth century, had to discover ways to excel at unarmed combat because the royal Pallavas prided themselves on their wrestling skills. The prince became a monk and travelled to China. There, his somewhat eccentric behaviour led to various piquant situations. He became not only the Founding Patriarch of Zen but also the first peaceful fighting monk. As Chief Abbot of the Monastery of Shaolin, he initiated the tradition that now makes it unique.

"...brilliant playwright Partap Sharma. A prominent fan of his work was the prizewinning African writer, Wole Soyinka!"
Saeed Jaffrey


Partap Sharma is a playwright, novelist and author of four books for children. As an actor he has won the National Award in 1971 for his performance in Phir Bhi. He has also played the role of Nehru in the film Nehru: Jewel of India. He has also directed a number of documentary films, including a historical series for Channel Four Television, London, titled The Raj Through Indian Eyes. As a result, England's Museum of the British Empire & Commonwealth, in Bristol now has a permanent section devoted to film clips and interviews titled The Pratap Sharma Archive on the British Raj. His voice is well known to cinema, TV and radio audience as he is one of India's foremost commentators and narrators. He is the recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.