Maya (1966 film)


Maya is a 1966 American drama in Metrocolor and Panavision, the coming of age story of a young man in the jungles of India. It was directed by John Berry and starred Clint Walker, Jay North, and Sajid Khan.

Synopsis

Fourteen-year-old Terry Bowen travels from the US to India to meet his father Hugh Bowen for the very first time. After a dispute with his father, Terry runs away and is befriended by Raji. Together, Terry and Raji have many adventures in the jungles of India. The cultural and religious differences between American Christian Terry and Indian Hindu Raji add to the conflicts in the plot, but together the two boys overcome their differences to survive and to deliver Maya and her calf to a faraway temple.

Cast

Producer King took the story of Maya to television with a television series that aired on NBC during the 1967-1968 season. Sajid Khan and Jay North reprised their roles and the series lasted 18 episodes. The series presented a retcon of the original film premise. In the series, Terry Bowen, a year or so older than in the film, arrives in India to reunite with his father, who he soon learns is missing, presumed killed by a tiger. Facing deportation back to the United States, Terry escapes the authorities, and meets up by chance with orphaned runaway Raji and his pet elephant, Maya; and the two boys decide to team up to go in search of Terry's father, as Terry is hopeful his father is actually still alive. Over the course of the series the duo and the elephant continue their search while facing many side-plots, but never succeed in their quest in the episodes made during the series' short run.
Japanese singer Rajie got her stage name from the character Raji.