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Decoding Deepak

A father. A son. And the universe between them.

201283 minNot RatedMidcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Director
Gotham Chopra
Starring
Deepak Chopra, Gotham Chopra

Journalist and filmmaker Gotham Chopra spends a year traveling the world decoding his father Deepak Chopra, resolving the "spiritual icon" he is to the world vs. the real man known to his family. What starts as an intimate biopic becomes a deeper plunge into the meaning of identity itself.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Decoding Deepak?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove does not list Decoding Deepak on any major US streaming service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Decoding Deepak?

Decoding Deepak earns 4 badges, led by Cult Classic and Box Office Flop.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Decoding Deepak worth watching?

Decoding Deepak's Midcredits score is the 26th percentile of all films, from 148 ratings across 4 sources. 35% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

26th percentile

Better received than 26% of films

5th percentile among Documentary27th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)24th
Approval (how many liked it)30th

53 /100

24th percentile of all films

5th percentile among Documentary26th percentile among 2010s

Critics 48 · Audience 54

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Ratings scatter across the whole scale — one of the most divisive reactions in the catalog.

Approval

How many liked it

35% liked it

30th percentile of all films

8th percentile among Documentary30th percentile among 2010s
35% rated it 7–1065% rated it 1–6

Critics 55% · Audience 59%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

26th percentile

141 ratings across platforms

53rd percentile among Documentary30th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 8% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$85K
Opening weekend$9.1K
Domestic gross$9.1K
Worldwide gross$9.1K

Returned 0.1× its budget — 18th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a personal, son-directed documentary that highlights Deepak Chopra's human frailties and family dynamics, leaving his spiritual teachings largely in the background.

Fans praised

  • humanizing portrait that reveals the guru's vulnerabilities and humility
  • honest and modest depiction of Deepak's spiritual journey and daily life
  • humorous moments and authentic integrity in living his truth

Detractors panned

  • unfocused documentary that fails to explore Deepak's philosophy or achievements
  • feels like a son's petty vendetta rather than an objective portrait
  • one-sided and mean-spirited, lacking respect and compassion for the subject

What stands out

Humor60

some funny moments noted by fan

Emotional impactDivisive45

polarizing: beautiful for fans, disturbing for detractors

Originality40

resembles other family portraits of famous figures

Plot and storyDivisive35

unfocused, lacks clear purpose or narrative drive

CharactersDivisive30

unbalanced portrayal emphasizing flaws and resentment

Watch experience

What is Decoding Deepak like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Food for thought: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something to think about afterwards.

It has a few laughs and leaves you thinking.

Setting

  • Contemporary
  • Realistic
  • Urban
  • Domestic
  • Wilderness

Story

  • No archetype

Feelings

  • Contemplative
  • Warm

What it asks of you

  • Even-paced
  • Engaged
  • Affecting
  • Open-ended

The answer rests on this: How it leaves you

  • Thought-provoking
  • Bittersweet

Style

  • Wry: Amused and slightly dry about it.
  • Tender

Themes

  • Identity
  • Family bonds
what the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Food for thought.

Heaviest: middleWry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Episodic · 13% of films: Loosely connected incidents rather than one driving plot.
ToneThe film holds its material with a mix of filial tenderness and critical observation, played straight but not afraid to show uncomfortable truths.
The rideThe mood shifts between affectionate family moments and pointed questioning, with the heaviest tension when the son directly challenges the father's persona.
StructureThe documentary follows a chronological journey over a year, structured by travel to different locations and evolving revelations about Deepak's character.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you pondering the gap between public persona and private self, and the complexity of a father-son bond.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 22% of films: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThis is a non-narrative documentary that follows Gotham Chopra's personal exploration of his father's identity, not a story that fits a conventional plot archetype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Identity · 14% of filmsFamily bonds
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film is about the gap between public persona and private self, as a son wrestles with the icon versus the flawed man he knows as his father.
StanceThe film critically examines the gap between public spiritual authority and private human flaws, without settling whether the two can be reconciled.

The world

AmbientOrchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Bennett Barbakow
SettingDeepak Chopra's globe-trotting life of lectures, home, and spiritual retreats

Content guide

Is Decoding Deepak okay for kids?

Not Rated

Decoding Deepak is not rated.

Ratings in 1 other country
  • NetherlandsAL

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Decoding Deepak have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Decoding Deepak?

Cast

Deepak Chopra
as Self
Gotham Chopra
as Self

Crew

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