Assam filmmaker’s documentary screened at British Film Institute in London

Chalo India with Ericji (Varanasi), a documentary directed by Assam filmmaker Rajdeep Choudhury, was screened at the British Film Institute (BFI) in London days after it was selected in the Indian Panorama Non-Feature section at the 56th International Film Festival of India.

The documentary is part of a larger travel and cultural anthology presented by Eric Ollerenshaw, a former Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom and a former history teacher with a long-standing interest in India.

Mr. Choudhury, who has been based in London for more than a decade, conceptualised the documentary anthology to explore different regions of India through culture, history, and lived experiences. The Varanasi episode was filmed during Makar Sankranti, capturing the city during the Mahakumbh period and documenting various aspects of everyday life and spiritual traditions associated with the ancient city.

The film follows Mr. Ollerenshaw as he experiences Varanasi through its ghats, local food culture, narrow lanes and nearby heritage locations, including Sarnath. Through observational storytelling and visual documentation, the documentary presents different facets of the city while reflecting on its continuing cultural significance.

The High Commission of India, London organised the screening of the documentary on May 10 at the BFI National Film Theatre 2 in collaboration with the U.K. Asian Film Festival and Tongues on Fire. Members of the Indian diaspora, film enthusiasts and people from diverse backgrounds attended the event.

During the event, the documentary team also received the Heritage Cinema Excellence Award, presented in association with the Indian High Commission, U.K. Asian Film Festival and Tongues on Fire, recognising contributions to cultural storytelling through cinema.

The next instalment in the documentary anthology, Chalo India with Ericji (Mizoram), focuses on northeast India and its cultural landscape. The teaser of the upcoming episode was launched earlier this year by the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) in the presence of Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and ITDC Managing Director Mugdha Sinha.

According to the makers, the broader vision of the documentary anthology is to document different States across India through travel-based storytelling intended for international audiences. It aims to document lesser-explored cultural narratives from different parts of India for global audiences.

For Mr. Choudhury, who belongs to Silchar in southern Assam’s Barak Valley, the documentary marks the beginning of a journey to cover all 28 States of India through stories that celebrate each region’s unique identity while connecting with global audiences.