India Reborn
Myth and Might (1x1)
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“Indians and Chinese will rule the world” — a prophecy and a challenge from one of the unforgettable characters you will meet in MYTH AND MIGHT, a panoramic documentary that captures the drama of epic change in the world’s largest democracy.
The new superpower is emerging amid the collision of the ancient and the modern – and MYTH AND MIGHT gives you a front row seat. Explore India’s rich tapestry of myth — from the flames of the ancient cremation pyres on the Ganges to the unforgettable spectacle of Navratri festival’s tens of thousands of dancers. Experience the force of India’s might – in the mountain jungles where a war for the country’s future is being fought, to the concrete streets of the capital where millions demand justice from their government.
The colorful and charismatic Lalu opens the show. Extraordinary access to India’s powerful and successful railway minister provides a closeup of the face of power. Both beloved as a savior of the lower castes, and reviled as a corrupt opportunist, Lalu embodies India’s hope and its contradictions.
The struggle for the soul of the new India is told through the stories of two brilliant doctors – both fiercely committed to their country, both determined to build its future. One, a rich heart surgeon, has returned home from America with a plan to build a medical system that will bring westerners to India’s door. He claims the future belongs to India. The other follows the example of his father who fought with Gandhi for India’s freedom, devoting his life to providing care and hope for India’s forgotten villagers. He fears India will dissolve into civil war.
The sublime city of Varanasi provides the backdrop for the powerful story of a father’s servitude and a son’s redemption in India’s ancient caste system. As one of India’s dalits or untouchables, Ramji Choudhury is doomed to spend his life burning bodies on the cremation pyres, but a breathtaking act of rebelli