India is a country of varied culture mixed with different experiences and a number of perspectives. This Independence Day, The National Geographic intends to capture the rich cultural diversity of the nation from an aerial view. This will be a two-part series named ‘India From Above’ and will narrate the rich and dynamic history of the country and its people. This is shot with a spectacular aerial perspective and the narration is done by British-Indian actor Dev Patel.
The show brings up an image of India that has been never seen before. Its breathtaking visuals and intriguing narratives describe our great nation so well. It depicts how the cultures and traditional customs of India exist proudly and beautifully beside the modern population and landscape that is evolving rapidly. It speaks of the huge Kumbh Mela festival that attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world every year. Besides the persisting traditions, we are forming our own norms and cultures by enthusiastically coming together for massive international music concerts and so on.
The Instagram post from the verified account of National Geographic India captioned as “All roads led to Binod” (sarcastically referring to the current trend of ‘Binod’ memes, posts and videos on social media, especially by Indian users), shows a marvellous picture of an Indian landscape that has our heart and makes us eagerly wait for the show to be released. Some other aerial pictures of different regional festivals of India are beautiful beyond expression. The sneak peek pictures show how detailed and comprehensive this show would be.
The show portrays how one country can nurse so many different worlds and every world co-exists with the other. It shows historic and politically significant occurrences like the general elections that are held every year and where millions come to cast their vote that determines the future of our nation. It also upholds the prestigious Indian space program which our country is known for. All of this is presented from the birds’ eye view showing us the bigger picture. This picture makes us believe that our country has much more than what meets our eyes.
The series is an attempt to bring alive the country of India in all its glory and showcase the cultural, geographical, historical and technological aspects of this nation. This show was shot across the year, across all four seasons and in different terrains and landscapes. “In an age when India has the technology to launch missions into space, the series also highlights how the nation is careful to preserve the unique techniques pioneered in its rich heritage”, said a press release by the National Geographic.
This is something we ought to celebrate this Independence Day. We need to celebrate the growth and development, the diversity and the beauty of unity, the people and their spirit.
The show was premiered on two days, August 14 and August 15 this year and is a joint production by the Line Production and National Geographic UK.
