First film by Mira Nair. A personal record of street life around the Jama…
Around India with a Movie Camera
- Description
- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
Award-winning filmmaker Sandhya Suri (I for India) skillfully weaves together archival footage—including hand colored sequences—with a new score by composer Soumik Datta to create an emotionally resonant story about life across India from 1899 to 1947.
Drawn exclusively from the BFI National Archive, Around India features some of the earliest surviving film from India as well as gorgeous travelogues, intimate home movies and newsreels from British, French and Indian filmmakers. Taking in Maharajas and Viceroys, fakirs and farmhands and personalities such as Sabu and Gandhi, the film explores not only the people and places of over 70 years ago, but asks us to engage with broader themes of a shared history, shifting perspectives in the lead up to Indian independence and the ghosts of the past.
"By watching the whole documentary there is a greater understanding of the British view of India and the culture of film itself." —Asian Culture Vulture
Citation
Main credits
Suri, Sandhya (film director)
Suri, Sandhya (editor of moving image work)
Gallani, Nicola (film producer)
Other credits
Original music by Soumik Datta.
Distributor subjects
Asia; Asia (South); Cinema Studies; Film HistoryKeywords
WEBVTT
00:00:00.583 --> 00:00:10.250
♪
00:00:18.125 --> 00:00:22.291
♪
00:00:22.291 --> 00:00:25.208
(indistinct chatter)
00:00:25.208 --> 00:00:27.542
♪
00:00:27.542 --> 00:00:30.458
(chatter continues)
00:00:30.458 --> 00:00:40.709
♪
00:01:39.792 --> 00:01:50.041
♪
00:03:00.083 --> 00:03:10.333
♪
00:04:25.875 --> 00:04:36.125
♪
00:06:25.333 --> 00:06:35.583
♪
00:08:17.458 --> 00:08:27.709
♪
00:10:09.291 --> 00:10:12.417
(static crackling)
00:10:15.667 --> 00:10:25.917
♪
00:12:13.542 --> 00:12:23.792
♪
00:13:57.417 --> 00:14:07.667
♪
00:15:36.208 --> 00:15:39.625
♪
00:15:39.625 --> 00:15:42.208
♪ The rajah,
he comes from Ranjipoo ♪
00:15:42.208 --> 00:15:44.291
♪ Only to spend
a month or two ♪
00:15:44.291 --> 00:15:46.000
♪ And you can bet ♪
00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:47.917
♪ The rajah knows
what\'s what ♪
00:15:47.917 --> 00:15:50.667
♪ You couldn\'t lose him
in Regent Street ♪
00:15:50.667 --> 00:15:51.583
♪ At any old game
00:15:51.583 --> 00:15:52.583
he\'s hard to beat ♪
00:15:52.583 --> 00:15:54.458
♪ The port of sport
00:15:54.458 --> 00:15:56.542
who\'s always on the spot ♪
00:15:56.542 --> 00:15:58.917
♪ In his own native land ♪
00:15:58.917 --> 00:16:01.917
♪ He\'s so precise
in everything ♪
00:16:01.917 --> 00:16:04.959
♪ But over here
he has his fling ♪
00:16:04.959 --> 00:16:05.625
♪ Oh ♪
00:16:05.625 --> 00:16:10.000
♪ All the girls admire
the rollicking rajah ♪
00:16:10.000 --> 00:16:12.083
♪ The wonderful rajah ♪
00:16:12.083 --> 00:16:14.000
♪ He\'s a multimillionaire ♪
00:16:14.000 --> 00:16:18.041
♪ Each day in Rotten Row
he\'s riding a charger ♪
00:16:18.041 --> 00:16:21.834
♪ And the rajah
looks all there ♪
00:16:21.834 --> 00:16:26.542
♪ He wears a bunch of diamonds
tucked in his turban ♪
00:16:26.542 --> 00:16:28.709
♪ In front of his turban ♪
00:16:28.709 --> 00:16:30.375
♪ And rubies, too ♪
00:16:30.375 --> 00:16:34.583
♪ All the girls salaam
the great Ram Jam ♪
00:16:34.583 --> 00:16:39.959
♪ The rollicking rajah
of Ranjipoo ♪
00:16:39.959 --> 00:16:43.125
♪
00:16:43.125 --> 00:16:45.709
♪ The rajah\'s in love
with girls a few ♪
00:16:45.709 --> 00:16:48.166
♪ \"I want a queen
in Ranjipoo\" ♪
00:16:48.166 --> 00:16:49.709
♪ Upon his knees
00:16:49.709 --> 00:16:51.667
he tells each maid
with pride ♪
00:16:51.667 --> 00:16:54.125
♪ \"To my native home
come fly with me
00:16:54.125 --> 00:16:56.250
and under a silken canopy\" ♪
00:16:56.250 --> 00:16:58.041
♪ \"Someday,\" he\'ll say,
00:16:58.041 --> 00:17:00.458
\"you\'ll be my Eastern bride\" ♪
00:17:00.458 --> 00:17:02.000
♪ \"When we get wed,
00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:04.000
we\'ll ride
two elephants
00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:05.458
and when it\'s done ♪
00:17:05.458 --> 00:17:08.583
♪ We\'ll both go home
again on one\" ♪
00:17:08.583 --> 00:17:09.291
♪ Oh ♪
00:17:09.291 --> 00:17:13.625
♪ All the girls admire
the rollicking rajah ♪
00:17:13.625 --> 00:17:15.667
♪ The wonderful rajah ♪
00:17:15.667 --> 00:17:17.625
♪ He\'s a multimillionaire ♪
00:17:17.625 --> 00:17:21.542
♪ Each day in Rotten Row
he\'s riding a charger ♪
00:17:21.542 --> 00:17:25.625
♪ And the rajah
looks all there ♪
00:17:25.625 --> 00:17:30.000
♪ He wears a bunch of diamonds
tucked in his turban ♪
00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:32.083
♪ In front of his turban ♪
00:17:32.083 --> 00:17:33.709
♪ And rubies, too ♪
00:17:33.709 --> 00:17:37.750
♪ All the girls salaam
the great Ram Jam ♪
00:17:37.750 --> 00:17:43.250
♪ The rollicking rajah
of Ranjipoo ♪♪
00:17:43.959 --> 00:17:54.208
♪
00:19:18.917 --> 00:19:29.166
♪
00:20:55.041 --> 00:21:05.291
♪
00:22:01.250 --> 00:22:11.500
♪
00:22:13.208 --> 00:22:14.083
Tiger hunting in India
00:22:14.083 --> 00:22:16.667
takes on added
pomp and ceremony
00:22:16.667 --> 00:22:18.500
when sponsored by a rajah.
00:22:18.500 --> 00:22:19.542
And it was
our good fortune
00:22:19.542 --> 00:22:21.625
to be invited
to the thrilling event
00:22:21.625 --> 00:22:24.125
along with many princes\'
important dates
00:22:24.125 --> 00:22:26.750
from nearby provinces.
00:22:26.750 --> 00:22:33.917
♪
00:22:33.917 --> 00:22:38.667
The start was made near
the edge of the Gir Forest.
00:22:38.667 --> 00:22:48.917
♪
00:22:49.959 --> 00:22:50.959
Before entering the jungle,
00:22:50.959 --> 00:22:53.667
a score or more of natives
had to be secured
00:22:53.667 --> 00:22:55.375
to act as beaters.
00:22:55.375 --> 00:23:00.083
♪
00:23:00.083 --> 00:23:02.875
These beaters live
in small native villages
00:23:02.875 --> 00:23:04.667
and are known as crows.
00:23:04.667 --> 00:23:05.959
They are religious thieves,
00:23:05.959 --> 00:23:07.959
and wickedness
is their creed.
00:23:07.959 --> 00:23:10.667
A crow must do
his evil deed each day,
00:23:10.667 --> 00:23:13.458
and in doing so, they hope
to return to Earth
00:23:13.458 --> 00:23:15.792
in the form of crows.
00:23:15.792 --> 00:23:20.834
Honest labor is a disgrace
to these gentlemen.
00:23:20.834 --> 00:23:26.417
♪
00:23:26.417 --> 00:23:29.375
If any work is done,
the women must do it.
00:23:29.375 --> 00:23:30.542
And in this village,
we found
00:23:30.542 --> 00:23:32.792
some remarkably
good-looking women.
00:23:32.792 --> 00:23:35.667
From what appeared to be
a place of dire poverty,
00:23:35.667 --> 00:23:38.166
they brought out
a fortune in jewels,
00:23:38.166 --> 00:23:39.458
gold pieces, and bracelets
00:23:39.458 --> 00:23:42.208
that they had skillfully
reformed and shaped.
00:23:42.208 --> 00:23:43.917
They are very clever
metal workers,
00:23:43.917 --> 00:23:46.875
which seems to be
their only ambition.
00:23:46.875 --> 00:23:52.458
♪
00:23:52.458 --> 00:23:55.583
There was
the striped killer.
00:23:55.583 --> 00:23:59.000
And to our amazement,
with him, his majesty,
00:23:59.000 --> 00:24:00.333
the king of beasts.
00:24:00.333 --> 00:24:01.333
Over a quarter of a ton
00:24:01.333 --> 00:24:04.458
of fierce fighting
machinery.
00:24:04.458 --> 00:24:12.417
♪
00:24:12.417 --> 00:24:13.667
(growling)
00:24:13.667 --> 00:24:15.166
The tiger\'s
unexpected attack
00:24:15.166 --> 00:24:17.625
takes the lion
by surprise.
00:24:17.625 --> 00:24:19.667
His majesty\'s fury
is aroused.
00:24:19.667 --> 00:24:22.417
The Indian lion
fears nothing that lives.
00:24:22.417 --> 00:24:26.083
Only victory or defeat
can stop him now.
00:24:26.083 --> 00:24:28.667
(growling)
00:24:28.667 --> 00:24:31.667
♪
00:24:31.667 --> 00:24:34.458
The tiger tries to escape
up the side of the pit,
00:24:34.458 --> 00:24:36.458
but there is no escape now.
00:24:36.458 --> 00:24:38.291
The two are destined
to uphold
00:24:38.291 --> 00:24:41.291
the law of the jungle.
00:24:41.291 --> 00:24:43.834
♪
00:24:43.834 --> 00:24:47.875
Then they meet
in a fight to the finish.
00:24:47.875 --> 00:24:49.166
♪
00:24:49.166 --> 00:24:51.875
(roaring)
00:24:51.875 --> 00:24:54.041
♪
00:24:54.041 --> 00:24:56.458
Exhausted,
the tiger gives up.
00:24:56.458 --> 00:25:00.959
He has fought his best
against the roaring monster.
00:25:05.166 --> 00:25:15.417
♪
00:26:57.166 --> 00:27:07.417
♪
00:28:25.750 --> 00:28:36.000
♪
00:30:11.417 --> 00:30:21.667
♪
00:30:36.083 --> 00:30:38.583
Of all the great religions
of the world,
00:30:38.583 --> 00:30:40.709
the strangest is
the weird faith
00:30:40.709 --> 00:30:41.959
of the Hindus.
00:30:41.959 --> 00:30:43.291
Into the many
inner mysteries,
00:30:43.291 --> 00:30:45.667
no white man
is allowed to penetrate.
00:30:45.667 --> 00:30:48.166
Into the bizarre beliefs
of Hinduism,
00:30:48.166 --> 00:30:49.333
none can be converted,
00:30:49.333 --> 00:30:52.583
for the Hindu must be born,
and born again,
00:30:52.583 --> 00:30:55.208
and yet again until
the weary duplication
00:30:55.208 --> 00:30:58.542
of his earthly lives
is halted in Nirvana,
00:30:58.542 --> 00:31:01.917
the Hindu heaven
of eternal peace.
00:31:01.917 --> 00:31:04.166
In all the modern world,
there is no parallel
00:31:04.166 --> 00:31:06.333
to such complexity
of faith.
00:31:06.333 --> 00:31:07.875
There has been
nothing like it
00:31:07.875 --> 00:31:08.709
since the pantheism
00:31:08.709 --> 00:31:12.250
of the ancient Greeks
and Romans.
00:31:12.250 --> 00:31:22.500
♪
00:33:28.250 --> 00:33:38.500
♪
00:35:34.750 --> 00:35:45.000
♪
00:35:48.792 --> 00:35:52.667
♪ Pretty little baby ♪
00:35:52.667 --> 00:35:56.500
♪ Everybody knows ♪
00:35:56.500 --> 00:35:59.959
♪ Pretty little baby ♪
00:35:59.959 --> 00:36:03.667
♪ I love you ♪
00:36:03.667 --> 00:36:06.125
♪ Sweeter
than the flowers ♪
00:36:06.125 --> 00:36:10.750
♪ Say, you\'re
a mighty nice rose ♪
00:36:10.750 --> 00:36:14.208
♪ And you\'re
my little angel ♪
00:36:14.208 --> 00:36:17.125
♪ From your head
00:36:17.125 --> 00:36:20.208
down to your toes ♪
00:36:20.208 --> 00:36:24.792
♪ Sweeter than the honey ♪
00:36:24.792 --> 00:36:28.250
♪ We get from the bees ♪
00:36:28.250 --> 00:36:31.959
♪ Everyone that knows you ♪
00:36:31.959 --> 00:36:36.667
♪ Sings for you ♪
00:36:36.667 --> 00:36:39.500
♪ What\'s the use
of crying ♪
00:36:39.500 --> 00:36:43.959
♪ When there\'s no denying ♪
00:36:43.959 --> 00:36:46.667
♪ Pretty little baby ♪
00:36:46.667 --> 00:36:52.959
♪ Oh, I\'m in love
with you ♪
00:36:52.959 --> 00:36:54.959
♪
00:36:54.959 --> 00:36:58.291
♪ Pretty little baby ♪
00:36:58.291 --> 00:36:58.959
♪
00:36:58.959 --> 00:37:02.291
♪ Everybody knows ♪
00:37:02.291 --> 00:37:02.917
♪
00:37:02.917 --> 00:37:05.917
♪ Pretty little baby ♪
00:37:05.917 --> 00:37:09.875
♪ I love you ♪
00:37:09.875 --> 00:37:10.417
♪
00:37:10.417 --> 00:37:14.125
♪ Sweeter than
the flowers ♪
00:37:14.125 --> 00:37:16.667
♪ You\'re a mighty nice rose ♪
00:37:16.667 --> 00:37:19.834
♪ And you\'re
a little angel ♪
00:37:19.834 --> 00:37:22.417
♪ From your head
00:37:22.417 --> 00:37:25.458
down to your toes ♪
00:37:25.458 --> 00:37:29.750
♪ Sweeter than the honey ♪
00:37:29.750 --> 00:37:33.083
♪ We get from the bees ♪
00:37:33.083 --> 00:37:37.125
♪ Everyone that knows you ♪
00:37:37.125 --> 00:37:40.917
♪ Sings for you ♪
00:37:40.917 --> 00:37:43.834
♪ Doo, doo, doo,
doo, doo, doo ♪
00:37:43.834 --> 00:37:49.166
♪ Doo, doo, doo, doo,
doo, doo, doo, doo ♪
00:37:49.166 --> 00:37:51.875
♪ Pretty little baby ♪
00:37:51.875 --> 00:38:02.041
♪ Oh, I\'m in love
with you ♪♪
00:38:03.792 --> 00:38:14.041
♪
00:39:09.542 --> 00:39:19.792
♪
00:40:03.625 --> 00:40:05.709
For hundreds of miles,
the Indian highway
00:40:05.709 --> 00:40:08.500
cuts across a bleak
and bitter landscape,
00:40:08.500 --> 00:40:10.959
torn and ravaged
by the monsoon floods
00:40:10.959 --> 00:40:13.083
and then for ten months,
without intermission,
00:40:13.083 --> 00:40:16.834
burnt and hammered
by the tropic sun.
00:40:16.834 --> 00:40:18.125
In sharp, vivid contrast,
00:40:18.125 --> 00:40:21.583
that contrast which forever
typifies the Indian road,
00:40:21.583 --> 00:40:23.875
is the mode of travel
of a local rajah
00:40:23.875 --> 00:40:26.625
seeking escape from
the intolerable heat
00:40:26.625 --> 00:40:27.792
of the plains.
00:40:27.792 --> 00:40:29.500
He is on his way
to his summer home
00:40:29.500 --> 00:40:31.959
in the cool heights
of the mountains,
00:40:31.959 --> 00:40:33.333
but he must travel
in state
00:40:33.333 --> 00:40:34.917
with his ceremonial
sword-bearers,
00:40:34.917 --> 00:40:36.959
his drummers,
and his dancing girls.
00:40:36.959 --> 00:40:41.000
India is a country ruled,
perhaps more than any other,
00:40:41.000 --> 00:40:41.709
by tradition.
00:40:41.709 --> 00:40:44.792
And tradition binds
the behavior of the rich
00:40:44.792 --> 00:40:46.083
more than the poor.
00:40:46.083 --> 00:40:47.208
Tradition places
dancing girls
00:40:47.208 --> 00:40:52.417
on each side of the rajah\'s
richly decorated litter.
00:40:52.417 --> 00:40:57.709
♪
00:40:57.709 --> 00:40:59.750
Tradition insists
that they shall dance
00:40:59.750 --> 00:41:04.166
throughout the long
and tedious trek.
00:41:04.166 --> 00:41:04.959
♪
00:41:04.959 --> 00:41:08.625
Tradition, too, governs
the rajah\'s wife, the rani.
00:41:08.625 --> 00:41:11.792
Being of lesser rank,
she rides without a canopy,
00:41:11.792 --> 00:41:15.959
enjoying the full force
of the sun.
00:41:15.959 --> 00:41:22.667
♪
00:41:22.667 --> 00:41:24.709
Overheated by
the fierce Indian sun,
00:41:24.709 --> 00:41:28.166
a motor bus pulls up
to cool its engine.
00:41:28.166 --> 00:41:29.583
Passing it, one more example
00:41:29.583 --> 00:41:32.375
of that weird contrast
which is India
00:41:32.375 --> 00:41:33.166
is the palanquin,
00:41:33.166 --> 00:41:35.458
a type of vehicle
which has not changed
00:41:35.458 --> 00:41:37.583
for more than 2,000 years.
00:41:37.583 --> 00:41:40.083
It is bearing
a beshrouded Muslim woman
00:41:40.083 --> 00:41:41.709
on her lonely travels.
00:41:41.709 --> 00:41:43.875
Her religion
sternly forbids her
00:41:43.875 --> 00:41:44.667
to allow the world
00:41:44.667 --> 00:41:47.625
the smallest inkling
of her charms.
00:41:47.625 --> 00:41:48.709
♪
00:41:48.709 --> 00:41:52.500
As a million wooden wheels
begin to turn,
00:41:52.500 --> 00:41:55.000
the modern road winds on,
00:41:55.000 --> 00:41:55.834
a ribbon of the present
00:41:55.834 --> 00:42:01.667
threading the fantastic
centuries of ancient India.
00:42:01.667 --> 00:42:08.792
♪
00:42:08.792 --> 00:42:10.917
This is India.
00:42:10.917 --> 00:42:12.291
Rural India.
00:42:12.291 --> 00:42:14.375
The real India.
00:42:14.375 --> 00:42:15.625
And this simple picture
00:42:15.625 --> 00:42:18.417
shows perhaps three
of the commonest sights
00:42:18.417 --> 00:42:21.041
in this vast country:
00:42:21.041 --> 00:42:22.458
the palm tree,
00:42:22.458 --> 00:42:24.000
the bullock cart,
00:42:24.000 --> 00:42:26.750
and the kerosene tin.
00:42:26.750 --> 00:42:27.458
In every home,
00:42:27.458 --> 00:42:30.166
in nearly 600,000
villages and towns,
00:42:30.166 --> 00:42:33.834
the kerosene tin serves
some useful purpose.
00:42:33.834 --> 00:42:36.000
After it has
fulfilled the work
00:42:36.000 --> 00:42:36.875
for which it is made,
00:42:36.875 --> 00:42:39.417
to bring kerosene
to the people of India,
00:42:39.417 --> 00:42:42.000
it starts a long
and arduous life
00:42:42.000 --> 00:42:44.041
of service to the villagers.
00:42:44.041 --> 00:42:46.458
It carries water.
00:42:46.458 --> 00:42:51.041
Flattened out, the tins
make an excellent roof.
00:42:51.041 --> 00:42:51.458
♪
00:42:51.458 --> 00:42:53.959
The metal is cut
to make a host of articles
00:42:53.959 --> 00:42:58.125
of everyday use, such as
the lamp you see here.
00:42:58.125 --> 00:43:01.417
The tins provide
containers for rice,
00:43:01.417 --> 00:43:02.583
dal, sugar, salt,
00:43:02.583 --> 00:43:04.333
and the 101
other daily needs
00:43:04.333 --> 00:43:08.959
that are retailed like this
in every Indian bazaar.
00:43:08.959 --> 00:43:10.208
♪
00:43:10.208 --> 00:43:11.375
Kerosene tins.
00:43:11.375 --> 00:43:15.041
They play such a varied part
in our everyday lives
00:43:15.041 --> 00:43:18.667
that their story
is worth the telling.
00:43:18.667 --> 00:43:21.959
Tin plates
stacked by the ton.
00:43:21.959 --> 00:43:23.041
In this factory alone,
00:43:23.041 --> 00:43:25.959
30,000 tins
are made every day.
00:43:25.959 --> 00:43:28.500
And now, the tin plates
start on their journey
00:43:28.500 --> 00:43:30.458
through the machinery
which shapes them
00:43:30.458 --> 00:43:32.834
into the finished tins.
00:43:32.834 --> 00:43:33.458
♪
00:43:33.458 --> 00:43:37.166
Here, the plates
are trimmed and hammered.
00:43:37.166 --> 00:43:42.625
♪
00:43:42.625 --> 00:43:45.083
At the same time,
the trimmed edges
00:43:45.083 --> 00:43:48.333
are bent into
the form of a book.
00:43:48.333 --> 00:43:52.583
So here is the body
of the tin.
00:43:52.583 --> 00:43:59.000
♪
00:43:59.000 --> 00:44:01.709
And here,
the tops are being made.
00:44:01.709 --> 00:44:07.542
♪
00:44:07.542 --> 00:44:09.166
(indistinct exclamation)
00:44:09.166 --> 00:44:18.208
♪
00:44:18.208 --> 00:44:21.041
So, in such
a short space of time,
00:44:21.041 --> 00:44:23.542
smooth tin plates
have been made
00:44:23.542 --> 00:44:26.667
into a four-gallon tin.
00:44:26.667 --> 00:44:30.709
♪
00:44:30.709 --> 00:44:33.625
(machinery whirring)
00:44:33.625 --> 00:44:36.625
♪
00:44:36.625 --> 00:44:39.333
(clanging)
00:44:39.333 --> 00:44:45.166
♪
00:44:45.166 --> 00:44:48.458
Here is the kerosene tin,
finished now
00:44:48.458 --> 00:44:52.458
all except for one small
but important detail:
00:44:52.458 --> 00:44:54.500
the handle.
00:44:54.500 --> 00:44:57.333
♪
00:44:57.333 --> 00:44:59.709
(machinery clanging)
00:44:59.709 --> 00:45:09.959
♪
00:45:20.750 --> 00:45:21.959
There they go,
00:45:21.959 --> 00:45:24.458
the finished kerosene tins.
00:45:24.458 --> 00:45:27.542
They\'re on their way
to be filled with oil.
00:45:27.542 --> 00:45:31.333
They will carry oil
to the vast Indian public,
00:45:31.333 --> 00:45:34.458
to the rich
and to the poor.
00:45:35.083 --> 00:45:45.333
♪
00:47:00.583 --> 00:47:10.834
♪
00:48:25.333 --> 00:48:35.583
♪
00:48:47.500 --> 00:48:57.750
♪
00:50:08.458 --> 00:50:18.709
♪
00:50:20.834 --> 00:50:22.709
I\'ve got to talk
rather quietly
00:50:22.709 --> 00:50:24.125
because I\'m in
a film studio
00:50:24.125 --> 00:50:26.375
and they\'re actually
shooting a scene.
00:50:26.375 --> 00:50:28.125
They\'ve nearly
finished the shot,
00:50:28.125 --> 00:50:29.375
and there\'s no need
to tell you
00:50:29.375 --> 00:50:30.792
who\'s the star
of this film.
00:50:30.792 --> 00:50:34.125
You can see his name
on the back of his chair.
00:50:34.125 --> 00:50:34.917
Save your lights!
00:50:34.917 --> 00:50:38.667
Ten minutes break for tea,
everybody.
00:50:41.750 --> 00:50:43.542
Well, that\'s that.
00:50:43.542 --> 00:50:46.583
Hello, what\'s my Indian
scrapbook doing here?
00:50:46.583 --> 00:50:47.667
Oh, sorry, Sabu.
00:50:47.667 --> 00:50:49.000
I was looking at it.
00:50:49.000 --> 00:50:50.417
Hope you don\'t mind.
00:50:50.417 --> 00:50:51.500
I used to live in India,
00:50:51.500 --> 00:50:53.000
and I was seeing
if I recognized
00:50:53.000 --> 00:50:54.375
any of the pictures.
00:50:54.375 --> 00:50:56.792
Here\'s one you ought
to recognize.
00:50:56.792 --> 00:50:57.792
Do you know what it is?
00:50:57.792 --> 00:50:59.458
Yes, I think
I\'d know that one
00:50:59.458 --> 00:51:01.667
even if I hadn\'t
lived in India.
00:51:01.667 --> 00:51:03.458
It\'s the Taj Mahal at Agra,
00:51:03.458 --> 00:51:06.125
one of the loveliest
buildings in the world,
00:51:06.125 --> 00:51:06.959
built 300 years ago
00:51:06.959 --> 00:51:09.041
by one of the great
Mughal emperors.
00:51:09.041 --> 00:51:11.250
I remember I used to think
it was a temple,
00:51:11.250 --> 00:51:13.250
but, of course, it isn\'t
really a temple at all.
00:51:13.250 --> 00:51:16.542
But there are great temples
still thronged by worshipers
00:51:16.542 --> 00:51:17.375
in every Indian city
00:51:17.375 --> 00:51:20.750
and little humble temples,
even in remote villages
00:51:20.750 --> 00:51:21.875
miles from anywhere,
00:51:21.875 --> 00:51:25.250
villages like this one,
for instance.
00:51:25.250 --> 00:51:26.333
Just a minute.
00:51:26.333 --> 00:51:27.625
What\'s going on here?
00:51:27.625 --> 00:51:29.834
Seems to be some sort
of entertainment.
00:51:29.834 --> 00:51:32.166
Let\'s stop and watch it
for a bit.
00:51:32.166 --> 00:51:33.583
I don\'t know
what it\'s all about,
00:51:33.583 --> 00:51:35.375
but it\'s rather fascinating,
00:51:35.375 --> 00:51:37.583
like one of
our curbside cabarets
00:51:37.583 --> 00:51:38.417
with a barrel organ
00:51:38.417 --> 00:51:40.625
and a gentleman
rattling spoons.
00:51:40.625 --> 00:51:41.875
Under that burning sun
00:51:41.875 --> 00:51:44.834
a little water often
has to go a long way.
00:51:44.834 --> 00:51:46.959
However, in this case,
there seems to be enough
00:51:46.959 --> 00:51:47.667
to go around.
00:51:47.667 --> 00:51:50.417
Makes me feel quite thirsty
just to look at them.
00:51:50.417 --> 00:51:52.208
Well, have some of my tea.
00:51:52.208 --> 00:51:53.458
It\'s just coming.
00:51:53.458 --> 00:51:54.792
Thanks awfully, Sabu.
00:51:54.792 --> 00:51:57.959
I\'m always ready
for a cup of tea.
00:51:57.959 --> 00:52:01.500
You must be glad
to get yours, too.
00:52:01.500 --> 00:52:04.041
You must get terribly
hot and thirsty
00:52:04.041 --> 00:52:06.208
working under
all these lights.
00:52:06.208 --> 00:52:07.709
You seemed to be
pretty hard at it
00:52:07.709 --> 00:52:09.792
when I was watching you
just now.
00:52:09.792 --> 00:52:11.083
I don\'t suppose
you often get time
00:52:11.083 --> 00:52:13.291
even for a short rest
like this, do you?
00:52:13.291 --> 00:52:16.583
Oh, we nearly always have
a break for tea.
00:52:16.583 --> 00:52:19.250
I see, \"Everything
stops for tea,\"
00:52:19.250 --> 00:52:20.375
as the song says.
00:52:20.375 --> 00:52:22.166
But you\'ll have to be
back on the set soon,
00:52:22.166 --> 00:52:24.709
and I\'d like to see
the rest of your pictures
00:52:24.709 --> 00:52:25.542
before you go.
00:52:25.542 --> 00:52:27.917
I say, this looks
rather exciting.
00:52:27.917 --> 00:52:29.917
Isn\'t this the city
where you used to live?
00:52:29.917 --> 00:52:32.792
Yes, these are some
pictures of the procession
00:52:32.792 --> 00:52:35.542
in Mysore,
where I was born.
00:52:35.542 --> 00:52:36.166
Of course.
00:52:36.166 --> 00:52:38.041
I was lucky enough to be
in Mysore once
00:52:38.041 --> 00:52:40.208
when the ceremony
was being held.
00:52:40.208 --> 00:52:41.959
It\'s an annual affair,
isn\'t it?
00:52:41.959 --> 00:52:43.250
-Yes.
-And the central figure
00:52:43.250 --> 00:52:44.792
of the procession,
which attracts
00:52:44.792 --> 00:52:45.625
thousands of people
00:52:45.625 --> 00:52:47.291
from the countryside
all around,
00:52:47.291 --> 00:52:49.917
is the maharajah
of Mysore himself,
00:52:49.917 --> 00:52:52.625
one of the premier princes
of India.
00:52:52.625 --> 00:52:54.500
He rides a superb white horse
00:52:54.500 --> 00:52:56.000
with a saddle
of solid silver,
00:52:56.000 --> 00:52:58.583
and his subjects wait
in the sun for hours
00:52:58.583 --> 00:52:59.917
to watch him go by.
00:52:59.917 --> 00:53:02.041
Now you can see
that silver saddle
00:53:02.041 --> 00:53:03.083
I was talking about,
00:53:03.083 --> 00:53:05.542
and it\'s worth seeing,
isn\'t it?
00:53:05.542 --> 00:53:08.625
And that\'s the last
of my pictures.
00:53:08.625 --> 00:53:10.250
I hope you liked them.
00:53:10.250 --> 00:53:12.000
They were lovely, Sabu.
00:53:12.000 --> 00:53:13.542
Thank you very much.
00:53:13.542 --> 00:53:15.834
And by the way,
I never thanked you
00:53:15.834 --> 00:53:17.667
for my excellent cup of tea.
00:53:17.667 --> 00:53:19.375
That\'s something
we all ought to be
00:53:19.375 --> 00:53:20.917
grateful to India for.
00:53:20.917 --> 00:53:23.458
Naturally, I think so, too.
00:53:23.458 --> 00:53:27.000
I am proud to have been
born in India.
00:53:27.000 --> 00:53:28.166
Back on the set, please.
00:53:28.166 --> 00:53:30.875
Light \'em up, boys.
00:53:30.875 --> 00:53:32.250
Well, I must go now.
00:53:32.250 --> 00:53:35.208
Goodbye and good luck.
00:53:35.208 --> 00:53:42.917
♪
00:53:42.917 --> 00:53:44.875
In the northeastern
part of India
00:53:44.875 --> 00:53:46.792
is the province
of Bengal.
00:53:46.792 --> 00:53:51.583
Its area is
76,843 square miles.
00:53:51.583 --> 00:53:53.959
Its population,
60 million.
00:53:53.959 --> 00:53:58.333
Let us now visit
a typical town in Bengal.
00:53:58.333 --> 00:54:05.083
♪
00:54:05.083 --> 00:54:06.375
Everywhere you go
in Bengal,
00:54:06.375 --> 00:54:08.125
you\'ll find what
this vendor is making:
00:54:08.125 --> 00:54:12.959
rasgullas, the most famous
of Bengal\'s sweetmeats.
00:54:12.959 --> 00:54:13.417
♪
00:54:13.417 --> 00:54:15.500
And now, we come
to the civic center,
00:54:15.500 --> 00:54:17.000
around which
the life of this town
00:54:17.000 --> 00:54:20.750
and its surrounding
districts revolve.
00:54:20.750 --> 00:54:22.583
The mission house.
00:54:22.583 --> 00:54:24.208
The surgeon\'s house.
00:54:24.208 --> 00:54:26.417
The district
magistrate\'s house.
00:54:26.417 --> 00:54:29.917
At the heart of all
these activities is a man
00:54:29.917 --> 00:54:30.959
in whose care and guidance
00:54:30.959 --> 00:54:33.291
is the welfare of
three million people
00:54:33.291 --> 00:54:35.500
within a radius of 50 miles.
00:54:35.500 --> 00:54:37.375
He is the district officer,
00:54:37.375 --> 00:54:41.667
or as commonly known,
the district magistrate.
00:54:41.667 --> 00:54:42.709
♪
00:54:42.709 --> 00:54:45.667
He looks young to be treated
with much respect,
00:54:45.667 --> 00:54:47.458
but years of study
and training
00:54:47.458 --> 00:54:49.875
have equipped him
with powers of judgment
00:54:49.875 --> 00:54:51.792
and a high sense
of public duty
00:54:51.792 --> 00:54:53.792
for his responsible post.
00:54:53.792 --> 00:54:55.667
Inspecting the villages
in his district
00:54:55.667 --> 00:54:58.041
is an important part
of his work.
00:54:58.041 --> 00:54:58.917
The bullock cart,
00:54:58.917 --> 00:55:00.709
India\'s oldest method
of transport,
00:55:00.709 --> 00:55:03.125
comes in handy
over difficult roads.
00:55:03.125 --> 00:55:04.792
And when the road
peters out,
00:55:04.792 --> 00:55:09.083
there is always
the friendly horse.
00:55:09.083 --> 00:55:16.959
♪
00:55:16.959 --> 00:55:20.041
Arriving at the village,
he is greeted by the elders
00:55:20.041 --> 00:55:22.500
and offered traditional
Indian hospitality.
00:55:22.500 --> 00:55:25.291
His friendly manner
soon wins their confidence,
00:55:25.291 --> 00:55:29.208
and they open
their hearts to him.
00:55:29.208 --> 00:55:30.291
♪
00:55:30.291 --> 00:55:32.667
And now, having gathered
all the reports
00:55:32.667 --> 00:55:33.709
of his subdivisional officers
00:55:33.709 --> 00:55:36.500
as well as his own notes
and recommendations,
00:55:36.500 --> 00:55:37.542
he is ready to report
00:55:37.542 --> 00:55:42.041
to the provincial capital
at Calcutta.
00:55:42.041 --> 00:55:51.208
♪
00:55:51.208 --> 00:55:53.500
(artillery screeching)
00:55:53.500 --> 00:55:55.834
(exploding)
00:55:55.834 --> 00:56:06.083
♪
00:56:07.834 --> 00:56:10.166
To the crash
of the Siegfried march
00:56:10.166 --> 00:56:12.750
they bore their
ugly standards forward
00:56:12.750 --> 00:56:15.750
to the altars
of their ugly faith.
00:56:15.750 --> 00:56:16.917
(shouting)
00:56:16.917 --> 00:56:21.125
Afterwards, that fevered
fanatic, Rudolf Hess,
00:56:21.125 --> 00:56:22.542
called upon
the multitude
00:56:22.542 --> 00:56:26.500
to bow down before
the god of lies.
00:56:26.500 --> 00:56:29.667
(speaking in German)
00:56:30.792 --> 00:56:36.000
♪
00:56:36.000 --> 00:56:40.667
To England, citadel
of order and good sense.
00:56:40.667 --> 00:56:41.875
No new thing to England
00:56:41.875 --> 00:56:44.583
were the symbols of might
and splendor,
00:56:44.583 --> 00:56:47.959
daily reminders to her people
of the material power
00:56:47.959 --> 00:56:51.041
which, down the years,
have ensured for England
00:56:51.041 --> 00:56:53.083
the freedom of calm thinking
00:56:53.083 --> 00:56:55.709
and the dignity
of gradual change
00:56:55.709 --> 00:56:59.458
across her gentle landscape.
00:56:59.458 --> 00:57:01.834
♪
00:57:01.834 --> 00:57:03.750
And in every corner
of her empire,
00:57:03.750 --> 00:57:06.583
wherever her subjects
aspire to the freedom
00:57:06.583 --> 00:57:07.417
of self-government,
00:57:07.417 --> 00:57:10.917
Britain held up
this old liberal ideal
00:57:10.917 --> 00:57:14.166
of change by gradual reform.
00:57:14.166 --> 00:57:15.834
♪
00:57:15.834 --> 00:57:16.500
No wonder, then,
00:57:16.500 --> 00:57:19.417
that faced with the swiftly
rising tide of new ideals
00:57:19.417 --> 00:57:21.917
on Indian soil,
she should see herself
00:57:21.917 --> 00:57:24.333
not as a daring leader
of the new,
00:57:24.333 --> 00:57:26.917
but as a stern guardian
of the old,
00:57:26.917 --> 00:57:29.625
obliged to keep
law and order.
00:57:29.625 --> 00:57:32.291
(shouting)
00:57:32.291 --> 00:57:37.166
♪
00:57:37.166 --> 00:57:38.875
There is silent majesty
and grandeur
00:57:38.875 --> 00:57:41.542
in the snow-covered peaks
of the tall mountains
00:57:41.542 --> 00:57:43.333
which brood
over the Kullu Valley
00:57:43.333 --> 00:57:48.458
quiet between the eternal
ranges of the Himalayas.
00:57:48.458 --> 00:57:53.625
♪
00:57:53.625 --> 00:57:55.375
In these hills
there is peace,
00:57:55.375 --> 00:57:59.333
there is beauty,
there is harmony.
00:57:59.333 --> 00:58:01.959
♪
00:58:01.959 --> 00:58:04.208
The men who live among
the hills are men of peace
00:58:04.208 --> 00:58:06.917
in keeping with the place
they live in.
00:58:06.917 --> 00:58:07.917
They worry nobody;
00:58:07.917 --> 00:58:09.083
little worries them.
00:58:09.083 --> 00:58:11.125
They work, and they have
their holidays
00:58:11.125 --> 00:58:14.583
to mark the passage
of the year.
00:58:14.583 --> 00:58:23.375
♪
00:58:23.375 --> 00:58:25.333
But the hillmen\'s year
has been filled
00:58:25.333 --> 00:58:27.500
with new work,
new interests,
00:58:27.500 --> 00:58:30.208
new contacts
with the world below,
00:58:30.208 --> 00:58:31.291
the world at war.
00:58:31.291 --> 00:58:33.166
Tough and used to fighting
for themselves,
00:58:33.166 --> 00:58:35.917
they instinctively know
what people are talking about
00:58:35.917 --> 00:58:38.625
when they talk to them
of soldiering.
00:58:38.625 --> 00:58:40.083
Therefore,
the men of the hills
00:58:40.083 --> 00:58:42.166
not only supply
raw products and food
00:58:42.166 --> 00:58:45.834
to the plains below,
they supply manpower also,
00:58:45.834 --> 00:58:50.250
healthy, strong,
fighting manpower.
00:58:50.250 --> 00:58:52.834
♪
00:58:52.834 --> 00:58:54.875
These versatile
and hearty people
00:58:54.875 --> 00:58:58.083
who have long fought
a battle with unruly nature
00:58:58.083 --> 00:59:03.500
can truly be called
\"hillmen at war.\"
00:59:03.500 --> 00:59:13.750
♪
00:59:32.667 --> 00:59:37.041
In India, there is a region
known as Rajputana
00:59:37.041 --> 00:59:39.291
with many independent states,
00:59:39.291 --> 00:59:40.834
people, by the Rajputs,
00:59:40.834 --> 00:59:43.875
one of the historic
races of India.
00:59:43.875 --> 00:59:46.125
The annals of their history
are a mine
00:59:46.125 --> 00:59:48.875
of futile romance
and gallantry.
00:59:48.875 --> 00:59:51.291
These states are ruled
by dynasties of princes
00:59:51.291 --> 00:59:55.291
who have defied centuries
of foreign domination.
00:59:55.291 --> 00:59:56.458
They are
the most enlightened
00:59:56.458 --> 00:59:59.375
and the most chivalrous
of the princes of India,
00:59:59.375 --> 01:00:03.667
and the British Empire
has no firmer friends.
01:00:03.667 --> 01:00:07.041
Three times a year,
they hold a durbar,
01:00:07.041 --> 01:00:08.291
or state reception,
01:00:08.291 --> 01:00:11.542
beginning with
a colorful procession.
01:00:11.542 --> 01:00:14.917
Under the canopy of
the elephant-drawn coach
01:00:14.917 --> 01:00:16.125
sits the maharajah,
01:00:16.125 --> 01:00:18.917
surrounded by
his most privileged nobles,
01:00:18.917 --> 01:00:24.792
their jewels glittering in
the strong, steady sunlight.
01:00:24.792 --> 01:00:32.583
♪
01:00:32.583 --> 01:00:35.750
Here, the maharajah\'s
bodyguard and his soldiers
01:00:35.750 --> 01:00:36.667
stand at attention.
01:00:36.667 --> 01:00:39.709
for though the Old World
may live in the ceremonial
01:00:39.709 --> 01:00:40.959
of an Indian durbar,
01:00:40.959 --> 01:00:43.375
the armies of the princes
are highly trained
01:00:43.375 --> 01:00:47.125
and equipped with
modern weapons.
01:00:47.125 --> 01:00:51.166
♪
01:00:51.166 --> 01:00:53.417
The maharajah,
in his silken raiment
01:00:53.417 --> 01:00:56.834
gleaming with jewels,
steps down.
01:00:56.834 --> 01:00:59.333
He is greeted by
his ministers and nobles,
01:00:59.333 --> 01:01:05.291
clad in their richest robes
stiff with precious gems.
01:01:05.291 --> 01:01:15.542
♪
01:01:42.625 --> 01:01:45.500
The rigid ceremony
is robbed of monotony
01:01:45.500 --> 01:01:46.333
by the dancing girls
01:01:46.333 --> 01:01:49.917
performing traditional songs
and dances.
01:01:49.917 --> 01:01:51.709
Though each movement
of the dance
01:01:51.709 --> 01:01:53.208
is known to the assembly,
01:01:53.208 --> 01:01:56.166
they are nevertheless
held spellbound.
01:01:56.166 --> 01:01:59.709
For whilst we are only
entertained by something new,
01:01:59.709 --> 01:02:05.083
the Oriental dwells
and delights in the past.
01:02:05.083 --> 01:02:15.333
♪
01:02:42.083 --> 01:02:45.041
Broadcasting House,
Regent Street, London,
01:02:45.041 --> 01:02:47.917
the most cosmopolitan
building in Europe.
01:02:47.917 --> 01:02:50.375
Here, the barriers
of class and creed,
01:02:50.375 --> 01:02:53.917
of sex, age, and race
no longer exist.
01:02:53.917 --> 01:02:56.333
The voice of London
is heard in India,
01:02:56.333 --> 01:03:00.750
but it\'s a group of Indians
who devise the programs.
01:03:00.750 --> 01:03:01.583
This evening, we present
01:03:01.583 --> 01:03:04.583
a completely new
and experimental program.
01:03:04.583 --> 01:03:06.875
Z.A. Bukhari reads his diary.
01:03:06.875 --> 01:03:09.458
He\'s noted for
his penetrating observations
01:03:09.458 --> 01:03:13.834
of life in Britain
and the British people.
01:03:13.834 --> 01:03:15.375
They leave you alone.
01:03:15.375 --> 01:03:17.083
They mind
their own business,
01:03:17.083 --> 01:03:21.417
and they expect you
to mind your own business.
01:03:21.417 --> 01:03:25.041
They remain individuals
even in a crowd.
01:03:25.041 --> 01:03:26.208
Since the battle rationing,
01:03:26.208 --> 01:03:28.583
Hyde Park is one
of my favorite haunts
01:03:28.583 --> 01:03:30.583
on Sunday mornings.
01:03:30.583 --> 01:03:33.375
There are individuals
everywhere.
01:03:33.375 --> 01:03:36.166
They stand apart
from one another.
01:03:36.166 --> 01:03:39.500
You don\'t have to force
your way through them.
01:03:39.500 --> 01:03:40.750
They leave each other alone.
01:03:40.750 --> 01:03:46.083
They laugh, they smile,
they listen, they talk,
01:03:46.083 --> 01:03:48.750
but each one for himself.
01:03:48.750 --> 01:03:51.333
Each one of them
is a little England
01:03:51.333 --> 01:03:54.959
and they all, put together,
make Great Britain.
01:03:54.959 --> 01:03:56.375
\"Help yourself\"
has always been
01:03:56.375 --> 01:03:59.542
a national characteristic
of the British people.
01:03:59.542 --> 01:04:01.875
During the war,
it has been carried
01:04:01.875 --> 01:04:05.083
even further than before.
01:04:05.083 --> 01:04:08.208
You do your own shopping.
01:04:08.208 --> 01:04:11.917
You go through the streets
laden with your load
01:04:11.917 --> 01:04:13.959
and you help yourself.
01:04:13.959 --> 01:04:17.166
One of the reasons, perhaps,
why you carry less luggage
01:04:17.166 --> 01:04:18.583
when you travel by train.
01:04:18.583 --> 01:04:22.917
An attaché case,
your overcoat, your hat--
01:04:22.917 --> 01:04:25.542
No, you wear your hat.
01:04:25.542 --> 01:04:30.417
The 10:24 for Camberley
and Reading
01:04:30.417 --> 01:04:32.875
will leave from platform 21.
01:04:32.875 --> 01:04:36.875
And your fellow travelers
leave you alone.
01:04:36.875 --> 01:04:38.875
No, they\'re not impolite.
01:04:38.875 --> 01:04:39.542
They\'re polite.
01:04:39.542 --> 01:04:43.333
They leave you alone
to read your book.
01:04:43.333 --> 01:04:47.417
Here, let my journey
end for today.
01:04:47.417 --> 01:04:49.375
♪
01:04:49.375 --> 01:04:52.041
(speaking in foreign language)
01:04:52.041 --> 01:04:55.542
There is also a daily news
bulletin in Hindustani.
01:04:55.542 --> 01:04:58.667
(speaking in foreign language)
01:04:58.667 --> 01:05:03.000
♪
01:05:03.000 --> 01:05:05.041
Problems of reconstruction
are discussed
01:05:05.041 --> 01:05:08.417
by Sir William Beveridge,
Wickham Steed,
01:05:08.417 --> 01:05:09.458
and Kingsley Martin
01:05:09.458 --> 01:05:12.542
in The Foundations
of Freedom.
01:05:12.542 --> 01:05:13.875
It seems to me
that the basic problem,
01:05:13.875 --> 01:05:17.792
in regard to India,
is how to overcome poverty
01:05:17.792 --> 01:05:20.333
and how to lay the foundation
of Indian prosperity.
01:05:20.333 --> 01:05:24.166
To do that for India,
the three most urgent things
01:05:24.166 --> 01:05:26.959
are to increase the
productivity of agriculture,
01:05:26.959 --> 01:05:30.667
to regulate the birthrate,
and to check the death rate.
01:05:30.667 --> 01:05:33.625
I don\'t see any reason
in the nature of things
01:05:33.625 --> 01:05:36.917
why they shouldn\'t be
successfully tackled.
01:05:36.917 --> 01:05:38.750
Then I\'d like to follow on
01:05:38.750 --> 01:05:44.000
with a unified social
insurance scheme for India,
01:05:44.000 --> 01:05:47.000
and I\'d make that
scheme national
01:05:47.000 --> 01:05:48.875
rather than provincial
01:05:48.875 --> 01:05:51.041
so as to link
the country together.
01:05:51.041 --> 01:05:54.500
Obviously, you will
have to have cooperation
01:05:54.500 --> 01:05:55.542
amongst Indians.
01:05:55.542 --> 01:05:56.417
That is a key note.
01:05:56.417 --> 01:05:58.417
Self-help in India
and helpful goodwill
01:05:58.417 --> 01:06:01.834
on the part of Great Britain
and the British people.
01:06:07.875 --> 01:06:18.125
♪
01:08:05.083 --> 01:08:15.333
♪
01:09:29.709 --> 01:09:39.959
♪
01:10:37.959 --> 01:10:48.208
♪
01:12:08.875 --> 01:12:19.125
♪
Distributor: Icarus Films
Length: 72 minutes
Date: 2018
Genre: Expository
Language: English
Color/BW: /
Closed Captioning: Available
Existing customers, please log in to view this film.
New to Docuseek? Register to request a quote.
Related Films
A tribute to the astonishing work and achievements of naturalist, inventor…
This newly restored landmark of documentary film presents a largely observational…