Rajdeep Choudhury’s documentary Chalo India with Ericji (Varanasi) offers an unique exploration of India.
Key Points
- Assamese filmmaker Rajdeep Choudhury’s documentary, Chalo India with Ericji (Varanasi), was screened at the British Film Institute in London.
- The film, part of a travel and cultural anthology, explores Varanasi through the perspective of former British MP Eric Ollerenshaw.
- Choudhury’s long-term vision is to document all 28 states of India through travel-based storytelling for international audiences.
Rajdeep Choudhury’s documentary Chalo India With Ericji (Varanasi) was screened at the British Film Institute shortly after being selected for the Indian Panorama Non-Feature section at the 56th International Film Festival of India.
Exploring India Through A British Traveller’s Eyes
The documentary is part of a travel and cultural anthology presented by Eric Ollerenshaw, a former British MP and history teacher with a long-standing interest in India.
Choudhury, who has been based in London for more than a decade, conceived the anthology to explore different regions of India through their culture, history and everyday experiences.
Capturing The Spirit of Varanasi
The Varanasi episode was filmed during Makar Sankranti and captures the city during the Mahakumbh period. The film follows Ollerenshaw as he journeys through the ghats, narrow lanes and food culture of Varanasi and visits nearby heritage sites such as Sarnath.
Through observational storytelling, the documentary presents the city’s spiritual traditions and enduring cultural significance.
The Indian high commission in London hosted the screening on May 10 at the BFI National Film Theatre 2 in collaboration with the UK Asian Film Festival and Tongues on Fire.
During the screening, the documentary team received the ‘Heritage Cinema Excellence Award’ in recognition of its contribution to cultural storytelling through cinema.
Next Stop: Mizoram
The next instalment in the series, Chalo India With Ericji (Mizoram), focuses on the cultural landscape of North East India.
Its teaser was launched earlier this year by India’s Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and India Tourism Development Corporation Managing Director Mugdha Sinha.
Mission to chronicle all 28 States
According to the makers, the long-term vision is to document all 28 states of India through travel-based storytelling for international audiences.
For Choudhury, who hails from Silchar in the Barak Valley, the project marks the beginning of a cinematic journey to showcase India’s diverse cultural narratives to the world.
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
