This history begins nearly 5000 years ago, during the so-called Bronze Age in the Indus river valley. To understand this soul, he turns to a study of history. Although he viewed the physical exterior of the country in all its beauty and glory, he was still at a loss about the 'atma' or the soul of India. He met various people and visited various regions. The show starts its journey during the elections of 1936-37 (these elections were held under the Government of India act, 1935) when Nehru traveled all throughout India. However, beneath the diversity, there was that 'essential impress of oneness'. What is that thread of continuity which has bound us together throughout the ages despite such a diverse population? Has that thread remained as strong as it was in the past or has it weakened during the passage of five millennia? 'India' as a political unit may have never existed prior to the modern age. The Story of India The central theme of the show contains Nehru's attempts to understand what India actually is. Once we start to ignore the superficial elements and try to grasp the soul of the story, a new world of magic starts to open up before us. However, I soon realized that while Bharat Ek Khoj had several faults, these faults were superficial. Moreover, the show was not completely faithful to the original book, in several important aspects. This was partly because of the fact that the initial few episodes failed to be as engaging as I had thought. When I watched the initial few episodes of Bharat Ek Khoj, I was somewhat disappointed. Although it was not a 'conventional' history book, still it was quite amazing to understand what a person like Pandit Nehru thought about India. Besides this, I had read Nehru's 'The Discovery of India'.
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I wanted to see how India's past was portrayed on a state-run TV channel in the late 80s. Ignoring the superficialities The show attracted me personally, particularly because of my interest in history. These episodes ran for varying lengths of time, sometimes for an hour, but on most occasions exceeding that limit. The show was produced by the state-owned broadcaster, Doordarshan and Sahyadri films and directed by the very talented Shyam Benegal. And at still another level, it was a tribute to India's past, often glorious, but at other times, not quite so. At another level, it was a tribute to one of the founding fathers of modern India.
At one level, it was a vehicle to further the government's agenda of promoting national integration in the midst of the troubled times in which it was produced.
Bharat Ek Khoj was one of the most influential Indian TV shows of its time.