The documentary, India: The Forgotten Army, discusses the crucial yet overlooked role played by the Indian soldiers during World War I

The gripping documentary India: The Forgotten Army commemorates the 102nd anniversary of the end of World War 1 and traces and documents the courage of Indian soldiers, shipped to distant shores to live and fight in deplorable conditions during the First World War. It features expert insights by Dr Shashi Tharoor.

The film is an adaptation of the book World War Sikh: Memoirs Of An Indian Cavalryman 1913-45 by Rana TS Chhina. It uses first-person accounts to tell the story of the war and the circumstances that Indian cavalrymen faced, as revealed in the letters they wrote to their families, more than a hundred years ago. The digital premiere of the documentary was announced by Discovery Plus recently.

It looks at the crucial yet unnoticed role played by the Indian soldiers during World War I with expert inputs of notable personalities, including Tony McClenaghan, Military Hostorian, England and Dr Santanu Das, Professor of English Literature, King’s College London amongst others.

 Dr Shashi said, “It is not widely appreciated that World War I also involved soldiers from faraway lands that had little to do with Europe’s bitter traditional hatreds. Of the 1.3 million Indian troops who served in the conflict, you hear very little. As many as 74,187 Indian soldiers died during the war and another 67,000 were wounded. Their stories and heroism, have long been omitted from popular histories of the war or relegated to the footnotes.” He adds, “These men were undoubtedly heroes: pitchforked into battle in unfamiliar lands, in climatic conditions they were neither used to nor prepared for, fighting an enemy of whom they had no knowledge, risking their lives every day for little more than pride. Yet they were destined to remain largely unknown once the war was over. They were neglected by the British, for whom they fought, and ignored by their own country, since they were fighting a colonial war. History had orphaned them. This film is a valuable contribution to their overdue rehabilitation”

Issac John, Business Head – Digital (South Asia), Discovery said, “The brave feats by Indians during the First World War had so far gone unnoticed. We are humbled to be able to shine a light on their tales of courage and sacrifice with  the release of India: The Forgotten Army on Discovery Plus. Our users have repeatedly expressed their interest in knowing more about the storied past of our brave soldiers and this release reaffirms our commitment to listen to our users.”

 The show brings together military and history experts and takes the viewers to the battle sites with animations and footages.

(The series is streaming on Discovery Plus.)