Anchal Sharma speaks to Paloma Monappa and Meraj Shah, the hosts of the show India My Way on Discovery about their incredible journey across the country and the amazing people they met
What is India My Way all aboutIJ
Paloma: The show celebrates India like never before through the eyes of two young travellers. It has been a thrilling journey that traces combination of the new with the old, offering a stimulating view about the present wave in our socio-cultural structure. The series encapsulates incredibly liberating and empowering works of young Indians which paints an inspiring picture of the emerging India. The idea of the show is to represent Indian youth culture in an authentic & fresh way and to break away from culture stereotypes.
Meraj: The show is about two friends, one from Mumbai, and the other from Delhi, who decide to take a road trip to re-discover India. The idea, ostensibly, is to challenge our notions of what makes this country tick, and specifically, how young people around the country are changing the way they live their lives.
Tell us about your journey.
Paloma: The past seven months on the road has definitely made me a lot less cynical about our country today, it’s been a truly eye opening journey for me. India is a seriously exciting place to be creating in right now, our country has so much to offer. Some of the people we had a chance to interview are reinventing the wheel, taking into account the many unique contexts and opportunities India offers and taking risks.
Meraj: I don’t know where to start! Seven months, over 30,000 kilometres, and close to 60-70 cities. It’s been, at the same time, exciting, challenging, awe-inspiring, interesting beyond words. It’s been a truly life-changing experience for me. I would like to do it all over again if I could.
How did the idea come aboutIJ
Meraj: The Discovery team had already zeroed in on a concept, which was focused entirely on how the new India has been changing. Of course the travel element is inherent to something like this, but I not call it a travel show. We felt that viewers out there would feel the same way as we did: That even a show that involved travel and destinations needs to have more of people and their stories from around the country. For me, travelling is about getting to know people, sharing their lives, and wishing that I had more lives perhaps to settle down and make a life in places I travel to. This fit right in. That was always the driving philosophy: We never chose destinations based on popularity or natural beauty.
Share the experiences you had, during your travel for this show.
Paloma: During the way of the show we literally immersed ourselves into everything the nation has to offer — art, music, food, start-ups, fashion, sport, etc. We had a chance to meet up with an interesting and eclectic bunch of people — Michelin chefs, musicians, activists, villagers, fashion designers, sportswomen, and many more and get a sense of their inspiring stories.
Meraj: We met young people from all walks of life: start-up entrepreneurs, development workers, musicians, adventure enthusiasts, architects, you name it. What everyone had in common was that they are changing the way things are done. They’re not afraid of stepping out of comfort zones, and to try new things. In a country like ours where stability and security have always been prioritised, these people are changing the rules.
What difficulties did you faceIJ
Paloma: Since we were constantly on the move, traveling by road from one State to the next it was quite exhausting. I became disconnected from my life back home and the Maruti Vitara Brezza pretty much became our home away from home. Checking in and out of hotel rooms and living out of a suitcase was basically our life. My Hindi is quite poor so I did face some difficulties while interviewing villagers in Bihar and UP but Meraj helped me get through it and I definitely feel like my Hindi has improved after the show!
Meraj: The most immediate difficulty, of course, was just getting used to the time on the road. Days and days on the road through all kind of terrain; waking up in new cities literally every other day; living out a suitcase, and out of hotel rooms were all challenges that we faced. But the rewards and joy we derived from the travel made short work of these.
Share some things that amazed you.
Paloma: Our road trip from Manali to leh was definitely one of the most unforgettable experiences. It’s something that I had always wanted to do. We drove 500 km up to leh crossing some of the most dangerous passes which took us two days. The spectacular terrain will be etched in my memory forever. It really does transport you into another world and makes you wish you had a 360 degree vision. It’s definitely something I would recommend to everyone traveling to India.
Meraj: Too many to recount. But if I had to think off the top of my head then just the incredible wild beauty of Arunachal Pradesh is unequalled in this country. This State is right up there — at par with Himachal Pradesh and J&K—when it comes to natural splendor. The fact that it’s not easily accessible means that it’s still largely unspoilt unpolluted or, for that matter, damaged by a narrow vision of ‘development.’ The throat singer monks at the Bomdila monastery really did amaze me. lama Tashi has even been nominated for a Grammy for this feat! The North-east in general was the highlight for me. We can really take a leaf out of the North-east’s book when it comes to gender equality. Odisha amazed me because I had no idea it would be this gorgeous. The food in Andhra Pradesh. I would move there just for the food if I had to.
You have also worked in a documentary, based on acid attack victim, tell us about this documentaryIJ
Paloma: The short film, Doon Ke Na Doon is inspired by the true story of 19-year-old Monica Singh, an acid attack victim. It captures the essence of the tragedy that women like Monica suffer at the hands of people too prejudiced or weak to accept rejection. The video tells the story and the effect of this cruel act. The film begins with the girl living a happy life and shows the attack and the aftermath that turns her life into a flow of emotional, physical and mental trauma. It portrays the revengeful nature of rejection in love.