The Natural State Director Matthew Dougherty

In 1989, Julie Thayer, a wealthy mother from New York City, went to the Swiss Alps to have her ego destroyed. The man she chose for the job was U.G. Krishnamurti, a radical Indian anti-guru who refused followers, refused donations, and told everyone who came to him to go away. Julie stayed — and filmed everything. The Natural State is built from that archive, hundreds of hours unseen for decades, and from the private journals Julie kept as U.G.'s psychological "blasting" carried her from states of ecstasy to the brink of devastation. The film's executive producers, Jane Campion and legendary Indian filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, both knew U.G. personally. Bhatt spent decades at his side and wrote his biography; Campion modeled Top of the Lake's guru GJ — Holly Hunter's enigmatic mystic — on her late friend. Director and co-editor of The Natural State Matthew Dougherty joins us in conversation.

About the filmmaker - Matthew Dougherty is an award-winning filmmaker, editor, and IDA-nominated composer based in New York's Catskill Mountains. His composition work includes the IDA-nominated score for the 2025 SXSW Grand Jury Prize-winner Shuffle; the HBO documentary Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero; and Sundance premieres Kim's Video, Mardi Gras: Made in China, and Girl Model. After more than a decade of development, The Natural State is his directorial debut.

About the filmmaker - Executive Producer Jane Campion is an Academy Award and Palme d'Or winning director, writer and producer. Her films and TV series include Power of the Dog, The Piano and Top of the Lake. Jane knew U.G. personally and the character G.J. played by Holly Hunter - in her TV series Top of the Lake is based on him. Jane is actively involved as a creative advisor on The Natural State.

About the filmmaker - Executive Producer Mahesh Bhatt is a five-time National Film Award winning director, writer and producer, and one of the most influential figures in Hindi cinema. His films include Arth, Saaransh and Zakhm. Mahesh knew U.G. intimately for over thirty years and has written three books about him, including the best-selling biography U.G. Krishnamurti: A Life.