Sunday, March 27, 2011

With Caroline Quentin in 'A Passage Through India'

- By Deepa Krishnan

This week I'm feeling like a TV star :)

I was on iTV in the UK, in a show called A Passage Through India. The show had a celebrity hostess, Caroline Quentin, and she travelled through many cities, including Mumbai.

Episode 2 of A Passage Through India, iTV UK
I took Caroline around Mumbai in a taxicab that had been specially arranged for the shoot. We were both wearing maroon, and the red upholstery of the cab gave it a "this is India" look.

How do you like my "Sonia Gandhi" saree? :) :)
The saree is actually a khadi cotton, that I bought from Sundari Silks in Madras. And aren't the pearls gorgeous? They're from Cochin, a gift from my husband on our last Kerala holiday. The ear-rings are from Delhi. So the only thing "Mumbai" about this is my saree blouse and my lipstick!

In the initial part of the programme, we drove around the city must-see's and I gave her an introduction to the origins of the city and how the East India Company finally arrived here.

After the initial driving around, we went to see the city's bazaars. This is Caroline and me at Chor Bazaar where I was talking about two of my pet themes, recycling and the never-say-die spirit of Mumbai's migrants.

Car parts and metal recycling near Chor Bazaar

Sharing a laugh over hair colour and male vanity
Caroline is absolutely lovely; she is warm, outspoken, funny and intelligent. A total delight to be with. We had loads of laughs; some of which made it to the show, and some of which didn't (thank god). In this part of the programme, we were discussing what colour hair we preferred in men :)

We also went to Mangaldas Market, where we found this family shopping for a wedding.

Caroline Quentin at Mangaldas Market, doing her thing - making everyone laugh!
There were two cousins, both getting married the same day, and both girls were at the market looking for their trousseau. Everyone was very friendly and they all had a good laugh at Caroline explaining how she did the dandiya-raas at Navratri.

We found a lot of stray dogs in Bhuleshwar and Chor Bazaar. Caroline loves dogs; she has 4 dogs at home; so we talked a bit about the problems of having such a huge stray population, and about local non-profits that work in the area of stray dog welfare. Later in the show, she went off with a vet to see Welfare of Stray Dogs in action. She also went to see Mallakhamb being practiced; and she went shopping with a Bollywood starlet and learnt some dance moves.

Towards the end of the show, we went to the Taj for drinks. It was a hot day, and this was a welcome break from the bazaars.

"Mumbai's heart lies in its bazaars", I'm saying.
All in all, a fun day spent with a lovely lady; and a chance to showcase my city, minus the usual cliches. I quite enjoyed myself!

21 comments:

  1. You are a star !! :)

    and your saree looks absolutely gorgeous.

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  2. Smooth description of what actually transpired between the two of you. I have to admire your saree and I just loved the way you put it, "Sonia Gandhi saree" :) :)

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  3. Shobna11:02 AM

    Next Bhuleshwar walk - I'm in.

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  4. very interesting..ur dressing style is very good..thanks

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  5. How fun for you!! I was just in Mumbai and loved loved the city!! I am writing on my blog about it now, come and see if I do justice to your city! More to follow as well...
    http://funkydoodledonkey.blogspot.com

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  6. Hello Team,
    It is quite unique concept that you have created.

    We are a group of friends, trying to contribute to the Society in our own way. and wanted to check if you can help us a bit.

    Basically we are trying to create a Social Venture, where in we help improve Rural Livelihoods.
    Would it be possible for you to come over to one of our village, and then write about us.

    Do let know of your decission.
    You can read more about us at
    http://grassroutes.co.in/

    My Email Id is vijay.khanna@wipro.com

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  7. Hi I live in London and saw the programme on ITV. I recognised you from your picture on this blog.( I have been following your blog for quite some time now). It was a good show and loved watching you.

    Keep up the good work.
    Nupur

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  8. Your blogs are full of positive energy. Keep up the good work:)

    Manoj Soral

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  9. Sounds like you had a great time. I'm not a huge fan of shows where celebs sweep through a foreign city - they always seem so shallow. These programs do seem to get repeated so I'll look out for it and will watch it when I can - just to see you not Caroline!

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  10. Iaintwoeyes3:55 AM

    Great programme and well done you! Some of my friends also watched it and thought it was really interesting.

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  11. Just bought the DVD from BBC, it's nice & entertaining - especially the episode about Mumbai :-) But why do all these India series take you to the same places? What about the east - north? Nobody goes to these places....

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  12. clodagh3:38 PM

    hi I am very impressed with the way the street dogs are neutered and cared for. I am looking for details for the woman or the organisation that do this. thanks

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  13. This is the organisation:
    http://www.wsdindia.org/
    Welfare of Street Dogs

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  14. You created a great post with excellent information.

    Pet Taxi

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  15. well its always being great that we are born in this country which is being loved by millions all around the world.... its really nice to see you mam visiting India and showcasing our culture. This helps youth generation who can not travel into their own country and are pretty convenient to television sets.

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  16. I just saw the program and thought it was well done. I started to watch it not expecting much but actually became rather engrossed in the lives of the people and the rythym of life in Mumbai. A thought did cross my mind that it would be nice to visit but no way you could you do it alone. Its a good thing Caroline had a good guide that really had a nice perspective of both the good and bad of the city.
    Good Job!

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  17. Mangaldas Market is our second home. I could live there forever :)
    Absolutely adore Caroline Quentin - her acting is so effortless

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  18. I too am always sceptical about celebrity type travelogues, but have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this series - she really seemed to fall in love with India and was genuinely interested in people's lives. I can imagine how much fun it was to film!

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  19. Anonymous11:57 PM

    I watched it today on history channel.. nice show.. BTW who was bollywood starlet.. Caroline went with..

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