MUMBAI: Starting 14 August, National Geographic Channel will present the changing face of India through its series 'Emerging India'.
The five-part series will premiere on the eve of Independence Day at 10 pm and looks at today's India coming to terms with its newfound place in the world - a confident and bold nation, a power to be reckoned with.
The series will cover topics as diverse as the new call centre generation to computer literacy amongst children to the development of the world's largest planned city on the outskirts of Mumbai.
Speaking on the series, National Geographic Channel India Sr VP-Programming, Joy Bhattacharjya said, "Emerging India looks at India in a very realistic and objective manner, bringing forward the normal yet less explored aspects of modern India in a unique manner. We are particularly excited about an episode titled 'Bombay Calling' that showcases the undocumented lives of the youngsters working in the BPO sector. The series successfully manages to present the fast track life of an Indian today, a life which sees a complete eradication of earlier conceptions of India by those in the developed world."
The week-long series will feature the following five episodes from Monday, 14 August will continue till Friday, 18 August at 10 pm:
The Hole in the Wall: 'The Hole in the Wall' explores Indian researcher Sugata Mitra's experiments and attempts to answer the question "Can children really teach themselves the rudiments of computer literacy with no instruction?"
Bombay Calling: Life at the other end of the line profiles the lifestyles of young Indians who swipe their identity cards and enter a world where they leave their real names at the door and negotiate uncharted territory and live an unfamiliar life. Bombay Calling is a snapshot of their world in transition, a Nat Geo window into the growing BPO sector. This critically acclaimed film directed by Samir Mallal has won the Grand Jury Prize - Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles and the Colin Low Award for Most Innovative Documentary - DOXA Documentary Film and Video Festival, Canada. The film has also been shown at the Melbourne International Film Festival and will be a part of the Indo-American Arts Council Film Festival, New York this November. The filmmakers Ben Addelman and Samir Mallal dive into this bustling world of late nights, long hours and hard partying. The result is a compelling insider's look at the growing number of young people who choose to follow the American dream…but in Indian ishtyle.
Stuntmen of Bollywood: This episode provides a gripping and in-depth account of the dangerous lives Indian stuntmen lead to make the leading actors appear as 'heroes' on the silver screen. This episode brings superstars, action directors and technicians on the same platform to reveal the heroic and often tragic tales behind well-known action sequences that have until now remained a well-kept secret.
Mumbai: Public transport is Mumbai's lifeline. Trains were built for 1700 passengers, but in this mega-city they carry three times that number. Mumbai's trains and buses keep this city in the fast lane, but by 2020 this city of 13 million could swell to an astounding 28 million people. This film takes a look at the futuristic transport arrangements being planned for the city along with the development of a new Mumbai-Navi Mumbai-the world's largest planned city.
Hot Science - From India: This episode documents India's attempts to establish itself as a fast developing nation with a unique brand of hot science and how the country is at the forefront of plans to push the developing world across the digital divide, with a hand-held, inexpensive alternative to the PC. Indian meteorologists are developing sophisticated computer models that harness the past to probe the monsoons of the future. Indian engineers have tapped the sun for an eco-friendly rite of passage - with a solar crematorium.
