Documentary explores lesser-known destinations in India in 12 episodes
BENGALURU: Search for the term ‘Incredible India’ on the internet and one will get a number of results showing well-known tourist destinations in the country. Incredible India is, however, defined mostly by crowded tourist locations, laments popular chat show host Vinay Bharadwaj. Now with the aim to show lesser-known destinations from across India, Vinay is now making a documentary, called Incredible India.
Vinay who grew up in Singapore has become quite a sensation on the internet with his shows Let’s talk with Vinay and Mind Talk. With these two projects, he brought out inspiring stories from across the country and promoted the importance of mental health awareness.
With this documentary, he now wants to explore and promote rural tourism. A team of five is behind this project and he has earmarked 12 unexplored destinations across India, which will be showcased in 12 episodes. Vinay’s friend, Pushpam not only came up with the idea but has also commissioned the pilot project, which was shot in Demul Village in Himachal Pradesh.
“Tucked away from tourism and media glare, Demul village is located in the foothills of the Himalayas in Spiti. It is a small village with 50 houses. There is neither cellphone signal nor landline connectivity in this village. Only one house has a satellite phone, which the villagers use to connect to the outside world. There are no hotels and we stayed with the villagers. People live together like a large family and have more real friends then virtual ones. That’s what makes this village special,” says Vinay.
Though Demul is located in the Himalayas, the village gets rainfall only once a year. The toilets are dry. It is a cold desert and is covered with snow for six months in a year. And yet, they produce the finest quality barley and peas and export it outside India. “That’s incredible, isn’t it?,” he asks.“Tourism today has grown manifold in India. When such hidden gems are shown to the world, the ever-enthusiastic travellers can extend a helping hand to these villagers. We hope this documentary sets a benchmark,” he adds.