India with Sanjeev Bhaskar
India with Sanjeev Bhaskar is a four-part documentary from the BBC in which Sanjeev Bhaskar travels to India with director Deep Sehgal. The documentary was created as part of the BBC's series of programmes on the 60th anniversary of the independence of India and Pakistan. The series was broadcast between 30 July and 20 August 2007.
Episodes
Sanjeev Bhaskar begins his journey in Mumbai, the nation's financial capital, before heading south to the global IT hub of Bangalore. Along the way, Sanjeev meets some of the rising young middle class who are transforming the face of Indian society. Finally, Sanjeev chills out in the beautiful island backwaters of Kerala, the playground of India's rich and famous.
Sanjeev Bhaskar travels across India. In this episode he takes a trip along the incredible Grand Trunk Road in a quest to find his ancestral home. Along the way he is invited to a lavish wedding, travels high into the mountains to see the summer capital of the Raj, and visits the breathtaking Golden Temple of Amritsar, the holiest shrine of the Sikhs. Finally, Sanjeev crosses the border into Pakistan in search of the village his father was forced to leave when India was partitioned 60 years ago.
Sanjeev Bhaskar finds out how the country's ancient traditions still shape life today. Starting in Calcutta during the chaos and fireworks of the Hindu New Year, Sanjeev takes a trip on the Ganges, and sees a spectacular statue-dunking ceremony dedicated to the city's patron goddess, Kali. And he finds out how today's young Indian professionals are reconnecting with the spirituality of their forefathers.
On the final leg of his journey, Sanjeev Bhaskar heads into the magical state of Rajasthan, where he samples the princely lifestyle of the Maharaja of Jodhpur and learns how Indian royalty has reinvented itself in a bid to become relevant in the 21st century. Deeper into the country, Sanjeev hooks up with nomadic camel herders and witnesses the birth of a baby camel. At the remarkable Barefoot College he sees how some of India's poorest people are being empowered and the caste system challenged.
