Tuesday, January 6, 2009

The Story of India

So I've been watching the PBS/BBC documentary "The Story of India," which is interesting on many levels.

First of all, the content is pretty all-encompassing -- there's a lot of stories within India, so trying to encapsulate them all is a pretty intense task.

Something else that's got me kind of intrigued is the host, Michael Wood. For better or for worse, I have a real fascination with colonialism and the British Raj, and really the whole Indo-British connection (past and present). Wood is definitely one of those Indophile Brits that is just overjoyed by the whole concept of India. He's just super-gushy-excited about everything he comes across as he travels along, from crowded bazaars to Buddhist temples, and sometimes it's a bit too much. I don't think any actual Indians are as hyped on India as he is. At the same time, it's kind of cool that he's just SO excited about everything.

I wonder how many British people who lived in India during the Raj were as excited as Wood to be there. If I had a time machine this is definitely one of the eras that I would travel to.

1 comment:

  1. I've been DVRing it! I can't wait to watch. I hope the British host shouts "Indiaaaaaaa" a lot. That's my preferred expression of India Love.

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