Two Londoners, virtuoso sarod player Soumik Datta and his brother Souvid, an award-winning photojournalist, visit six Indian states to investigate and celebrate the country's rich folk music heritage.
A young artist returns to his roots in India in search of fading music and musicians. Deep within forests and villages, he meets extraordinary tribes and gypsy singers living in poverty and hidden from the mainstream. His journey unfolds in six parts, painting a vivid portrait of an unseen India. An enchanting voyage that questions the imbalance of our entertainment industries by debut directors, the Datta brothers.
SERIES SYNOPSISA young artist returns to his roots in India in search of fading music and musicians. Deepwithin forests and villages, he meets extraordinary tribes and gypsy singers living inpoverty and hidden from the mainstream. His journey unfolds in six parts, painting a vividportrait of an unseen India. An enchanting voyage that questions the imbalance of ourentertainment industries by debut directors, the Datta brothers.SYNOPSES BY EPISODEEpisode 1 - WEST BENGALSoumik arrives in the city of joy Kolkata in search of his musical roots and puts togetherhis team. They head into the villages in search of travelling minstrels known as Bauls.Their journey leads them deeper into impoverished rural hinterlands where an old mansings under his broken down house. These musicians are driven by deep faith andextraordinary spiritual resilience. Their daughters sing and children learn deep lessons insimple words.Episode 2 - RAJASTHANIn Ajmer, Soumik meets a Qawwali group who invite him to play inside the spectacularAjmer Sharif Darga. He crashes a wedding, jams with tribal drummers, escapes from thepolice and discovers a group of women singers who have never left their village but whowould like to travel and sing in the cities.Episode 3 - NAGALANDHigh in the eastern mountains in a remote corner of India, Soumik encounters the Nagatribes. They teach him about their mysterious customs, chicken dances and head-huntingtraditions, part of a unique identity at the brink of extinction. The Nagas wish to preservetheir regional identity and they also want to be part of the national map of India.Episode 4 - GOAOn Christmas eve, Soumik arrives in the ex-Portuguese colony of Goa. A global party huband Orthodox coastal state in one, Goa is a state in flux. An ambitious, young Fado singer,and a wise, old violinist, bring to life the struggle that many Goans feel between a colonialpast and modern future, a laid back lifestyle challenged by tourist and consumer culture.Episode 5 - KARNATAKAIn the tropical climes of verdant Karnataka, Soumik meets powerful dancers. They explainhow India's archaic caste system has hurt their lives as performers. Yet here, atopmountains and forests, music and dance are one in the same - an enduring and ancientway of life.Episode 6 - VARANASIIn the world's oldest city of Varanasi, Soumik explores a neighbourhood that has producedfive generations of Indian classical masters. He meets widowed women singers who havecommitted their lives to the Hindu God, Shiva, and a young drummer with the talent tomake it big. Dedication to fading classical arts is formidable in this timeless city of religion,tradition and rising commercial interests.
