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Magical Kerala
WHEN DISCOVERY Channel of USA invited the BBC to film a television documentary showcasing India it came with a caveat; the length should not exceed 90 minutes. With enormous material on the book it was clearly a difficult brief. After all with a spirit beating strong, India is too diverse to be fitted into a short time slot. Nevertheless the broadcasting company took up the challenge with bravado.
It was a calculated risk because the 13-member team comprises of renowned academics, who call themselves the Atlas Adventurers. What excited them was that it wasn't going to be a run of the mill, revised version of the numerous `visit India' motion pictures that do the rounds on channels.
Slated to be the most lavish visual illustration and tour of the subcontinent, the documentary will use state of the art technology to provide picture quality that is at least twice as superior to what is available today. The film will be shot on 35 mm celluloid and High Definition (HD), which is a new cutting edge format that delivers vibrant colours and picture clarity on small screen. According to Patrick A. Mark, producer and director, Atlas HD: The Wonders of India, it will be the most ambitious and spectacular portrait of the country ever made. The new project was initiated on the conviction that there is a renewed interest both within and abroad in the subcontinent and a desire to know what makes it so stimulating. After a long slump India is back on the tourist's map as one of the most favoured destinations to holiday and soak in. So what better place to begin shooting than God's Own Country, a paradise that can mesmerize even the most ardent globetrotter whose been there, seen it all, done that and more.
Simply put "Kerala is magical," says Mr. Gautam, an editorial consultant with the BBC. Interestingly, it's the backwaters, the Chinese nets or even all-the-rage Ayurveda that will be shot and captured on film. The think-tank has decided to go further into history and start from the very beginning. Why did Vasco da Gama come here? What attracted the traders to the Malabar Coast? Spices form the natural backdrop and conversion to Christianity follows. The coverage will span centuries of co-existence and development, highlighting Kerala as the most literate state and concluding with inroads made in fields of science and information technology.
Indophiles willing to cross the oceans will get a first hand report on the history and culture of India in the comfort of their own homes. The Atlas Adventurers, experts in their respective fields, have set out on voyages across the country to find out what makes it unique. From how the Himalayas were formed to the palm-fringed beaches of the south, the campaign will record India's landscape in all its glory and sunshine.
The film is expected to take a year and a bit to build and will be transmitted on Discovery channel in the winter of 2004. To get the general drift of how fascinating India is hear this: Plans are afoot to translate the documentary into 33 languages and beam it in 152 countries, into the bedrooms of more than 400 million viewers, worldwide. An epic worth waiting for.
SUNANDA KHANNA
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
Visakhapatnam
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