07 Apr 2010 10:25 am IST
BBC Documentary: Indian Hill Railways – Darjeeling
A wonderfully produced BBC documentary on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railways. This hour long documentary follows the lives of some Darjeeling families whose livelihood is the DHR. Beautifully shot and produced, this is one of the best documentaries I’ve seen on the DHR, or on life in the Darjeeling hills, so far.
The series is available on YouTube in six 10-minute parts. The first part is embedded below, and below that are links to the others.
Enjoy….
Part 2 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1f-JPyLguk
Part 3 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l8aNt3FW-w
Part 4 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzoiI4i_agI
Part 5 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=636BpA2gbI8
Part 6 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHJ_X8qbn1I
April 8th, 2010 at 3:46 pm IST
Thank you for that. This was the best of the BBC1 series on the Indian Hill Railways but then I am being biased
-. Sita’s indomitable spirit to enable her son get admitted in North Point against all odds was so inspiring and for me a metaphor for the spirit of the hills. Productions like these by the BBC make me realize that my license fee of £149 is money well spent. Kudos to the corporation and I hope they continue to produce more documentaries on the Hills. The next one on Kalimpong and the trade route perhaps, Mr Hayling ? ïŠ-
April 8th, 2010 at 8:01 pm IST
@Boomthing – Amen!! A documentary on Kalimpong and the trade route would be quite something.. What stories: Younghusband.. The doomed Mallory Everest Expedition.. Chinese spies… Bhutanese Royalty… Greek Royalty… Burmese Royalty… Did you know that Allen Ginsburg had visited Kalimpong? Such rich history!
April 10th, 2010 at 1:24 pm IST
I watched these videos 3-4 times and still want to see them again. Each of the stories told in the documentary was unique and completely spellbinding. A mother giving everything for the education of her kids, a monk caught up with the “world” in his spiritual quest, a music lover who sees his dreams fulfilled through his son’s achievement, and a son seeking to help his family by joining the army could all have been characters of a novel. But truth is sometimes stranger “and wonderful” than fiction. Thanks a lot for the links.
April 20th, 2010 at 1:18 am IST
Would love to hear from you guys at youtube. Leave a comment on the video page
Thanks.
December 7th, 2011 at 3:57 pm IST
“Beautifully shot and produced, this is one of the best documentaries I’ve seen on the DHR, or on life in the Darjeeling hills, so far.”
As a director of the film, this was the best review I would have got. Thanks mate
Tarun Bhartiya