Adapted from the true life story of Malaysian reincarnated living Buddha Lhobphon Rinpoche, the biographical film “MAHAMUDRA” was shot on location across Malaysia and Nepal, and is slated for release this July.
The film is produced by veteran cross-disciplinary producer Wong Bing Chee, directed by emerging filmmaker Zhao Wenjun, and stars rising young actor Chen Li Yang in the lead role. Unlike conventional biopics, “MAHAMUDRA” is not only a record of a life, but also a spiritual dialogue about “seeking” and “returning to one’s place.” The film tells the extraordinary journey of Lhobphon Rinpoche (birth name Su Jian), who started as a young Chinese Malaysian from Kuala Lumpur and gradually answered his destined calling to eventually become a reincarnated lama of the Drikung Kagyu lineage.
At its core, the movie revolves around a spiritual journey that transcends mountains, seas, and even life and death, employing a unique narrative technique in which three actors portray the same character, presenting Su Jian’s growth and awakening at different life stages: Chen Li Yang as the adult Su Jian/Lhobphon Rinpoche, Chen Zibin as teenage Su Jian at 17, and Cai Xinyi as Su Jian at age 5. Adding to its historical and spiritual significance, Lhobphon Rinpoche himself serves as the film’s chief consultant and appears on screen as the “narrator,” infusing the film with rare authenticity and authority.
To present the most authentic atmosphere of spiritual practice, the crew began filming in September 2025 in Bukit Tinggi, Pahang, before travelling to Kathmandu and the Mustang plateau in Nepal. The production team completed the shoot in extreme conditions at an elevation of 4,500 meters and a temperature of minus six degrees Celsius, striving to showcase the truest essence of faith. Director Zhao Wenjun stated, “Facing the harshness and grandeur of nature, we learned humility and captured the pure power of faith.”
