Book description
Sanjeev Bhaskar, comedian and writer behind 'The Kumars at No. 42'
embarks on an epic and highly personal journey through modern India.
Sanjeev's characteristic humour and unique take on the country form the
heart of this beautifully written travel book that became a Sunday Times
bestseller in hardback when it accompanied his BBC series.
Sanjeev Bhaskar, comedian and writer of 'The Kumars at No. 42' and
'Goodness Gracious Me' embarks on an epic and uniquely personal journey
through the heart of India for his latest BBC2 series, unveiling a
country of contradictions and surprises, where ancient and modern
collide, and millionaires and beggars live cheek by jowl.
As a young British Asian growing up in 1970s west London above his
parents' launderette, Sanjeev was fed stories of exotic old India - of
cobras and leopards, trapping fireflie and riding in rickshaws. But
family visits to the old country revealed stifling heat, mosquitos,
powercuts, and the pervasive aroma of cow dung - baffling to a young boy
brought up in an England of fish and chips and light drizzle.
Now we follow Sanjeev on his adventures through India, where he is
reunited with old relatives with traumatic stories of the Partition, but
also takes in the shiny new India of state-of-the-art technology and
glittering Bollywood. In Bombay, Sanjeev attends a billionaire's party
worthy of James Bond, while grinding poverty is a stone's throw away. In
Jaipur, he wryly observes the polo-playing Maharajah jet-set, and sees
the Ganges lit up by a million candles during the festival of Dawali.
His trip sometimes gets a little surreal, as Sanjeev finds himself
judging the world's strangest beauty pageant - Mrs India - or plays a
sleazy uncle in a Bollywood blockbuster. But we also travel with him to
the spiritual heartland of India - Rishikesh, where hippy throwbacks
mingle with monks in saffron-coloured robes on the banks of the holy river.
In Sanjeev we have the perfect witty and thoughtful travelling
companion with a unique take on a remarkable country - an India steeped
in history on the brink of superpower status, chaotic and confusing,
astonishing and jaw-droppingly beautiful. 'Sanjeev Bhaskar is the
perfect guide to the endlessly astounding universe of sensations found
on the subcontinent. Witty, observant, honest, affectionate and
informed, he brings India alive on the page. His beautifully produced
and dazzlingly informative book made me want to drop everything and take
the first plane out.'
STEPHEN FRY Actor and writer Sanjeev Bhaskar first came to widespread
public attention through the ground-breaking comedy sketch show Goodness
Gracious Me. He followed up this success with his solo venture, The
Kumars at No. 42. Sanjeev writes the show and plays the role of Sanjeev
Kumar, who tries to host and broadcast a celebrity chat show from his
parents' living room. Sanjeev can also be seen in the films Anita and
Me, The Guru, The Mystic Masseur and Notting Hill. He is married to
Kumars co-star Meera Syal.
