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00:00Welcome to India.
00:02If you think you know this incredible country, I urge you to think again.
00:06In this series, I'm going on a journey.
00:09It's the closest I'll ever get to being in the Hell's Angels.
00:12To explore this ancient, vibrant, complex and sometimes bewildering land.
00:17And to experience how old India is rubbing up against the new.
00:21This is a land of staggering contrasts.
00:241.4 billion people.
00:26Extreme poverty, spectacular wealth.
00:29All jostle alongside each other in a full-on riot of colourful chaos.
00:35From the Taj Mahal, the bustling markets, the slums and Bollywood movies.
00:41To million-pound homes and exotic palaces.
00:44And why would it be madness to miss out on all this?
00:48Every step. So impressive.
00:51Oh, and this.
00:55And maybe this.
00:58So join me as I get a glimpse of traditional and modern India.
01:02A journey to feel the pulse of a nation and a people on the verge of something big.
01:17I'm starting my journey in one of India's most famous cities, Mumbai.
01:23When the Portuguese first arrived here in 1508, this was little more than a scatter of swampy islands.
01:29They named it Bombaym and established a safe harbour.
01:33But it was the British and the East India Company who stitched the islands together, drained the marshes and laid
01:39the foundations of a major trading hub.
01:42As their empire grew, the British built spectacular high courts, ornate fountains, clock towers, railway stations.
01:52Oh, and of course, cricket pitches on the lawn.
01:57Bombay became the jewel in the crown of the British Raj.
02:01And all of these glorious buildings are still part of this astonishing city.
02:06But more on that later.
02:10Today, Mumbai is sprawling, busy and bustling with over 20 million inhabitants.
02:16It's now the richest city in India.
02:19The super rich look down from their luxury homes on the millions of people, nearly half the population, who inhabit
02:26its sprawling slums.
02:27You might say, a microcosm of this intriguing country.
02:31All good reasons to start exploring the story of modern India right here.
02:36Waterfront Towers, Colaba.
02:38Well, this is very exciting.
02:40I'm with Ravi, who is a sort of superstar rialtor.
02:43Is that what we call you? A rialtor here?
02:45Realtor, real estate agent.
02:47Real estate agent.
02:48Here, you look after the absolute creme de la creme of the property market here in Mumbai.
02:53Is that right?
02:53That is correct.
02:54Ravi Keral Rahmani has made it his business to sell property to Mumbai's elite.
02:59A booming market in a city teeming with millionaires.
03:06I mean, maybe, maybe, Ravi, maybe we'll sell up in the UK.
03:11Maybe we should move here, my wife and my four children.
03:13You're most welcome.
03:14See how it goes.
03:15If you sell it to me.
03:17I don't sell.
03:19People buy.
03:24Space is scarce.
03:26Demand is surging.
03:27To get your hands on a decent Mumbai pad, you've got to be prepared to pay through the nose.
03:32On your books right now, what's your top price?
03:36What's the absolute jewel that you have at the moment?
03:39I think 25 million.
03:40OK.
03:40Right now, we're going to see a property which is in Kolaba, completely sea-facing from all four sides.
03:47It's just around three million pounds.
03:49Right.
03:51I'm hoping Ravi can show me what that kind of money can buy around here.
03:57In the last ten years, we have seen tremendous infrastructure growing.
04:02The ceiling, which was opened back in 2009, the road that we are on right now.
04:06Right, yeah.
04:06This is all we claim land.
04:08In a bid to tackle its chronic congestion, Mumbai has poured over a billion dollars into building new roads over
04:15the past decade.
04:17So this is extraordinary.
04:19I mean, Mumbai is evolving rapidly.
04:22On your watch.
04:23Correct.
04:24Quite exciting.
04:25And you're in the right business.
04:26And at the right time.
04:27This entire skyline that you've seen.
04:30Yeah.
04:30They're all in excess of seven and a half million, 10 million, 12 million.
04:36Cracky.
04:37These are eye-watering sums of money, aren't they?
04:40Really.
04:43The richest man of the country and one of the richest man in the world.
04:47They have their home here in Mumbai.
04:50Right.
04:50A billion dollars.
04:51That's the house.
04:51If you've not seen it.
04:53That's not the famous 27 story.
04:56That is it.
04:56That is it.
04:57Yeah.
04:57Home of the Ambani family and one of the most expensive private residences ever built.
05:04And Tilia has a rooftop helipad, internal parking for 168 cars, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and accommodation for 600
05:13staff.
05:16These are slums here, the feet of these.
05:19Those houses that look like shanties.
05:21Yeah.
05:21They're sitting on premium real estate.
05:23Yeah.
05:26Right next to the luxury homes are the sprawling city slums.
05:30India is clearly going places.
05:32But it also has got some issues to address.
05:36We are still a new democracy.
05:3975 years is what we are crossing now.
05:42Yeah.
05:42It's going to take time.
05:44Yeah.
05:44It's going to take time for all of the things to kind of fix up.
05:50So where are we now?
05:52We've emerged from the tunnel.
05:54We're at the hub of the political centre.
05:55Yeah.
05:56You'll see suddenly the roads are cleaner.
05:58They're all old colonial homes.
06:00Yeah.
06:00If you see, they will have dates on them.
06:02Let's say 1920, 1940, 1890.
06:05You'll see them all old.
06:08We've arrived at our destination, Kalaba.
06:11Once a British military and commercial hub.
06:14And it feels like stepping back in time.
06:17The colonial architecture sets this part of Mumbai apart, giving it a character all its own.
06:23Landmarks like the Gateway of India and the famous Taj Palace Hotel are just round the corner.
06:28And arriving at the show flat, it feels strikingly modern for such a historic part of town.
06:34So you also have 24-hour security, therefore, presumably, with the flat.
06:39Yes.
06:39Well, at this price, you better have 24-hour security.
06:43Ravi explains that the apartment is unfurnished, so I'll have to use my imagination.
06:50There we are at the apartment.
06:51Thank you very much, Ravi.
06:54We'll start with the living room.
06:56Okay, let's do that.
06:57Okay.
06:57Look at this.
06:59Ravi, heavens above.
07:02This is what luxury living in Mumbai feels like and looks like.
07:09From every room, you have a view of the sea.
07:11This is great.
07:13It's beautiful.
07:13Beautifully finished.
07:14I like the tiles.
07:16Washroom?
07:16Washroom.
07:17Very important.
07:18These are German fittings.
07:19German fittings.
07:20Very good.
07:21This is 3,000 square feet of high-level Mumbai living.
07:25Three gigantic bedrooms, marble and oak flooring, and German fittings.
07:29And, of course, separate accommodation for your live-in staff.
07:32I'm beginning to get the picture.
07:35This should ideally be your bedroom.
07:37I think it should be.
07:38The master bedroom, you have 270 degrees of sea views.
07:45Then you have your windows opening up.
07:49Come on, baby.
07:50I mean, this is clearly a very, very important thing to have the through breeze.
07:55It's important for me.
07:56If I was to buy a house, I want cross ventilation.
07:59And then you have just wind blowing through all throughout.
08:02You have Mumbai skyline.
08:03You have sea views.
08:04You have green views.
08:06You have boat views.
08:07You have a far-off mountain view.
08:09I mean, what else is left to see?
08:11Excellent.
08:11If that's not going to get it sold, you might as well get out of here.
08:16That is fabulous.
08:17I can promise you now, if we ever bought this house and we lived here, I would do exactly
08:22that.
08:22I'd open all the windows, and my wife would come in and go, what the f*** are you doing?
08:26And I'd go, no, it's important.
08:30You've got to have the air.
08:30It's really important in Mumbai.
08:33And she'd be picking up all the papers that have just blown all over us.
08:39If we were to live here, I mean, if we were to live in Mumbai, I would absolutely love to
08:45live here.
08:45And I love the fact that we're in old Mumbai, and I think it could be an excellent place to
08:50be.
08:51Can we close the deal?
08:52Yeah, come on.
08:53Done.
08:53Absolutely done.
08:54I think he knows I'm joking.
09:02Despite all this high living, Mumbai is bursting at the seams.
09:06The lack of space means that even the slum areas have become prime real estate.
09:12In the past 20 years, Mumbai has bulldozed vast swathes of its slums, replacing these communities
09:18with high-end luxury apartments.
09:21And for many slum dwellers, the promise of rehousing has never materialized.
09:27Next, I venture into India's biggest slum.
09:31Hi.
09:32And discover another side to the city.
09:34How many rooms?
09:35We have just one room.
09:37Just the one room?
09:37Yeah.
09:38Goodness me, how'd you do that?
09:51I've begun my Indian odyssey in the city of Mumbai.
09:55And I'm discovering just how fast it's changing.
10:00Everyone just beats when they pass another car, so if you heard the traffic in Mumbai,
10:04you would imagine that there's just chaos.
10:07And it's not.
10:07It's just everyone saying, ah, ah, ah, it's coming by you.
10:10Ah, ah, ah, ah, it's driving past you.
10:12Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah.
10:15Although some of Mumbai today looks a bit like Manhattan, tucked away in the old city are
10:21a stack of beautiful old buildings.
10:24And all have a tale to tell.
10:28The Gateway of India was built to commemorate the 1911 visit of King George V and Queen Mary,
10:33but it wasn't actually completed until 13 years later.
10:37In fact, only a cardboard replica was in place for the royal visit.
10:42In 1948, the last British troops departed India from this very spot,
10:47ending nearly 200 years of colonial rule.
10:53Nestled by the historic arch, with the best view of the sea,
10:56is the city's most famous hotel.
11:00The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel was built as a bold statement.
11:04Indian designed, open to everyone, and unapologetically grand.
11:09Legend has it, the great industrialist Jamsetji Tartar commissioned this
11:14after he'd been refused entry to the exclusive Watson's Hotel,
11:18which operated a Europeans-only policy.
11:20Well, today, the Taj Palace stands proud as a symbol of Indian ambition and elegance.
11:26Meanwhile, the once-exclusive Watson's Hotel has faded into obscurity,
11:32a crumbling relic of the colonial era, awaiting much-needed development.
11:39Some of Mumbai's architectural treasures have been beautifully restored.
11:48This stunning library has elegant floor-to-ceiling bookcases and grand bay windows that open onto a veranda,
11:58overlooking Calagoda, the black horse that still gives the district its name today.
12:05Now, famously, that statue once had a horseman attached,
12:09and the horseman in question was Edward VII, or the Prince of Wales, as he was at the time of
12:13the commission.
12:14Now, as part of the de-Britification of Mumbai across the 50s and 60s,
12:19the statue of Edward VII was removed and put in by colour zoo.
12:23But the whole area's been known as Calagoda, the black horse.
12:27So a new statue was commissioned of the black horse, but without the king attached.
12:35What's great about Mumbai is that its old, iconic buildings are still very much part of the modern living city.
12:43And you'd never guess that this grand façade hides one of India's busiest railway stations.
12:49Behind me, towering over the hustle and bustle of the city, is the Grand Victoria Terminus,
12:56or as it's known today, the Shattrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, or the CSMT to us locals.
13:04This Gothic revival masterpiece, this is a true Mumbai iconic landmark.
13:10At night, it gets lit up, casting a beautiful glow over the neighbourhood.
13:14And by day, it positively thrums with the comings and goings of the citizenry,
13:19some three million of whom use it every single day.
13:23This truly is the pulsing heart of this great city.
13:30Now, all this sightseeing is apt to make a man hungry.
13:34India is, of course, famous for its thousands of curry dishes.
13:37But I have a date with a young food critic, who has promised to introduce me to the Mumbai culinary
13:42classic,
13:43the Vada Pav, known as the Mumbai Burger.
13:47You puja?
13:49How do you do?
13:50Namaste, how are you?
13:52Namaste, I'm Alexander. How nice to meet you. What an exciting place.
13:55Just across from the CSMT, Aram Vada Pav is a joyful cacophony of consumption.
14:02They've been serving up spicy snacks to hungry commuters here since 1939.
14:08What's better than eating Vada Pav?
14:11What indeed? I've no idea what it is, but I can't wait to find out.
14:16People call it Mumbai Burger. Boiled mashed potato.
14:20Yes.
14:21OK. Tossed into different spices.
14:24Salt, turmeric, mustard seeds, curry leaves, ginger, garlic, green chillies, coriander.
14:30Or you just toss it all in and deep fry.
14:34It's estimated two million of these are scoffed in Mumbai every day.
14:39But to eat it like a local, careful instruction is required.
14:43That's the green coconut chutney. Apply it.
14:46Apply?
14:47Apply some sweet as well.
14:49OK.
14:50Tamarind and sugar.
14:51This one, dry red chutney, we call it. Sprinkle it.
14:57This is made out of garlic, peanuts, red chillies, coconut inside it.
15:03Perfect.
15:04Now eat it.
15:15How is it?
15:18I mean, it's delicious.
15:21It's a festival of starch.
15:25Yes, you can call it like that.
15:27Yep.
15:27It's all very good.
15:29What's so clever about it is, it does have all these lovely flavours.
15:32Yeah.
15:32But it's got all these textures, so you've got that lovely crispiness.
15:35And then you've got this soft, soft, doughy, doughy white bread.
15:39It's really good. Thank you for introducing me to this.
15:47Beyond the grand colonial buildings and modern luxury developments, lies another Mumbai.
15:55Over 40% of the city's population live in slums, some decades old.
16:00These ramshackle settlements have grown layer by layer as people from across rural India pour into the city in search
16:08of work and a better life.
16:11One such place has now swelled to staggering proportions.
16:15Well, this is Dharavi, which is home to over a million people, sometimes referred to as Asia's largest slum.
16:27A million people living in an area around the size of 300 football pitches.
16:33And there's been a plan for some years, but it seems to be coming to fruition now to redevelop this
16:38whole area.
16:39And that obviously has sparked heated debate.
16:46Redeveloping a vast inner city slum seems like common sense, but it's far from straightforward.
16:52Hi.
16:53Hi.
16:54Some in Dharavi believe it could improve their lives, while others fear losing everything they've built.
17:00And over time, they've built a lot.
17:03It's a very, very human knot of things.
17:11Whilst originally squatters, some of the inhabitants have improved their homes, built businesses and workshops.
17:21And many people remain wary of the promises being offered by the developers.
17:27I'm here to get a sense of how different communities feel about what's at stake.
17:32Are you Rajesh?
17:33Yes, I'm Rajesh.
17:35Rajesh.
17:36Yeah, you can call me Raj.
17:37OK.
17:37Raj.
17:38And you're from here?
17:40You're from Dharavi.
17:40Yeah, I grew up in Dharavi.
17:41Yeah.
17:42Since I was three.
17:44Since I was a child, through these alleys, playing different games.
17:48I bet.
17:48Like, I didn't see cricket and all.
17:51So you kind of know everyone as well.
17:53Yeah.
17:55I mean, just to prove it.
17:58There we are.
18:00I mean, how amazing to have this as your playground.
18:03There is poverty, but also a strong sense of community.
18:06Well, exactly that.
18:07I'm getting that just from the first few minutes I've been here.
18:11Yeah.
18:11And now just looking at all the wiring.
18:14I mean, how much of this is electricity, obviously.
18:16This is all electricity.
18:17Phone lines, things like that.
18:19Yeah.
18:20Cable, I mean, cable TV, I suppose.
18:22Yeah, everyone has electricity.
18:23Everyone has TV nowadays.
18:25I mean, if something goes wrong with your electrics, this is quite a nightmare, isn't it?
18:30Somebody's got to work out.
18:31Some poor electrician's got to come along and trace your wiring.
18:34Yeah, yeah.
18:34For about a kilometre.
18:35The local electrician, he knows where.
18:38He knows.
18:39He's like you.
18:39You know your way around all the...
18:42He knows that which wire goes to which family.
18:46Rajesh is taking me to see some people who live in a very densely populated part of Dharavi.
18:52They've been promised better homes if redevelopment plans move forward.
18:58So, that's my friend Mukesh.
19:00Namaste, sir.
19:01He lives over here with his family.
19:03Hi.
19:04Nice to meet you.
19:05How many of you are there in your family?
19:06We have total five people.
19:08There are five of you?
19:09Yeah.
19:09And how many floors are you on?
19:10We have, like, just one floor, ground floor.
19:12Just this ground floor?
19:13How many rooms do you have?
19:14We have just one room.
19:15Just the one room?
19:16Yeah.
19:17Goodness me.
19:18I imagine at night time...
19:19I mean, you must... the whole floor must be covered.
19:21Everyone sleeps there.
19:22It's incredibly...
19:24Yeah.
19:25...ordered.
19:25And how long have you lived here?
19:26I born here.
19:27You were born here?
19:28Yeah, I born here.
19:29Wow.
19:30That's my third generation.
19:31Third generation?
19:32May I have a look here?
19:33Yeah, sure, sir.
19:35That's my house inside.
19:36So here are all your family.
19:38Yeah.
19:39She's my mom, he's my brother.
19:40Nice to meet you.
19:41How old are you?
19:42Two years completed.
19:43Two years?
19:44Yes.
19:44How do you do that?
19:45I mean, having a baby...
19:47We can manage.
19:47I mean, you're amazing.
19:49And that's...
19:49That's extraordinary.
19:50This is my kitchen.
19:53Merkesh's entire family home is around three metres by three metres.
19:57All five of them cook, eat and sleep here with no window and no running water.
20:03And I guess...
20:03And your neighbours, you all kind of live in each other's house.
20:05Yes, yeah.
20:06The community is very strong here.
20:07Yes.
20:08I mean, I get that.
20:09Lovely.
20:09Yes.
20:11Lovely, close-knit.
20:12So at night time, how do you sort out all your sleeping in here?
20:16We have like a blanket here.
20:18Yeah.
20:18We put the blanket down side.
20:20I see.
20:20This is all the blankets.
20:21There's all the blankets.
20:22We put here.
20:22We are total five people.
20:23We sleep here.
20:24Goodness me.
20:25In the new development, what sort of house have you been promised?
20:28They are promised they're giving to us like a nice apartment.
20:32Yeah.
20:32It's like 350 square feet.
20:34350, 280 square metres.
20:36This is nice, yeah.
20:37Wow.
20:37That's why we are so happy.
20:38I see.
20:39Yeah, I see.
20:39So you said yes, yes, absolutely when they are.
20:42Yeah, we said yes, yes, yeah.
20:42This has been so enlightening.
20:45Looking in at a slum from the outside, it's hard to imagine people's everyday lives and
20:50just how they manage.
20:52And Rajesh is showing me that Dharavi is far more than just a place to live.
20:57It's a hive of industry, a tightly packed maze of small workshops and factories that employs
21:03around 250,000 people and turns over close to a billion dollars a year.
21:08Yeah.
21:09It has more than 10,000 industries in Dharavi.
21:14Industries like leather, pottery, garments and much more.
21:18So now we are into the potter's community.
21:21Ah.
21:22This district is pottery.
21:25The potter's have built up a thriving business here over four or five generations.
21:30Their main products are ceremonial bowls and festival lamps.
21:36Look at that.
21:38Beautiful.
21:39At peak times, they can produce tens of thousands every day and export to Germany, Japan and beyond.
21:47Oh, beautiful.
21:48Look at this.
21:50The potter's are worried about any redevelopment as they clearly have a lot to lose.
21:56Be careful.
21:57Yeah.
21:58Hanif is one of them.
21:59Oh, my friend Hanif.
22:01Hanif.
22:01How do you do?
22:03Yeah.
22:03That's fun.
22:04I see.
22:04So how are you feeling about this development?
22:08I'm not angry for developing.
22:10No.
22:10Because I'm pottery, I'm doing seven generations.
22:15Seven generations.
22:16Yeah.
22:16My community is all here and the community is destroyed.
22:19Totally.
22:20That is why I'm not angry.
22:21Do you think it's going to happen?
22:23No.
22:23No.
22:24Okay.
22:25Do you trust the government on this?
22:26I can't trust it.
22:28Yeah, I'll stay.
22:29Okay.
22:30Yeah.
22:31If the kilns and workshops get knocked down during redevelopment, the potters fear they
22:36won't get properly compensated.
22:41My visit to Dharavi has been a real eye-opener.
22:44In today's India, a country of enormous wealth, everyone deserves clean, dignified housing.
22:53But any redevelopment also risks destroying the very thing that gives this place its soul.
23:00Do you worry about the community though?
23:01I've only been here an hour and already I just have a sense of every single person you
23:06pass, you know.
23:07You see, doors are always open.
23:09So valuable that though.
23:10Yeah.
23:11And the thought of that evaporating is sad.
23:14This is one thing.
23:15But still, everyone wants to have a better living condition.
23:19Sure.
23:20So that's why we hope it's going to give us something better and beautiful.
23:28If the redevelopment does go ahead, let's hope it truly benefits the people of Dharavi
23:34by supporting their livelihoods and preserving the spirit of their community.
23:39And doesn't simply enrich Mumbai's property developers.
23:46Next, for something very different, I get put to work just as the Mumbai heavens open.
23:54Life clearly just goes on in the monsoon.
24:04Come to Mumbai, they said.
24:08Soak up the sun and all the sights.
24:24This was the day I'd planned to spend with the legendary Doverwallers.
24:29OK, doesn't get any worse.
24:32This 5,000-strong army has delivered home-cooked lunches nearly every day since 1890.
24:39On foot, bicycle, train and trolley, they have been unstoppable.
24:44And I doubt a bit of rain is going to deter them.
24:47Nor me, for that matter.
24:48Now I'm wearing the famous Dabawala uniform.
24:51I feel I was born for this.
24:54Well, there's a lot going on in Mumbai's lunchtime delivery system.
24:57Now, yes, there are these modern shiny apps like Zomato and Swiggy,
25:02but there is also an old-school delivery system.
25:05And frankly, we're much better dressed.
25:09For over a century, Mumbai's Dabawalas have delivered home-cooked lunches from kitchen to office.
25:15Been here?
25:16Ah.
25:17A comforting taste of home in the middle of the working day.
25:20Yes, the day I came to join the Dabawalas is also the first day of the monsoon here in Mumbai.
25:29A Dabawalas refers specifically to the metal lunchbox, and a wallah is the person who carries it.
25:36You're probably not familiar with Mr. Darcy, but that's the general look I'm going for.
25:45Here we go. We're in. Aha.
25:49Over 200,000 containers of home-cooked food are delivered across Mumbai every day.
25:55My colleague Santosh and I are picking up Mr. Kakani's lunch, just recently made for him by Mrs. Kakani here.
26:02Ah.
26:02Here, searching it.
26:04Ah, I see, right.
26:06One, two, arm, four.
26:09This is where we're taking it to, I see.
26:11Yes.
26:11This is our delivery, right?
26:12Yum.
26:13Yum.
26:14Oh, it's like a riddle.
26:21I was hoping that the rain might have stopped, but clearly not.
26:26Well, it seems, I mean, life clearly just goes on in the monsoon.
26:30And I guess this will just go on for, I don't know, six to eight weeks.
26:34By then, I imagine the drains are probably working quite well.
26:39Mumbai gets around 2,200 millimetres of rain during the monsoon, which lasts from June to September.
26:46That's three times the amount Manchester gets in a year.
26:50Despite the weather, we've just got to knuckle down and get on with it.
26:53I mean, this is such a Mumbai institution, the delivering of lunch.
26:59And all this coding system is incredibly sophisticated.
27:02Apparently Richard Branson has been out here because he's wanted to crack how they do it.
27:07He's just amazed at how, look at this, all of us sharing this one canal.
27:15In Mumbai, lunch can travel miles to reach hungry office workers.
27:20And from the very start, the Dabawalas have relied on the city's monsoon-proof,
27:25British-built rail network to deliver it.
27:29Do I put it here?
27:30Yeah.
27:30Ah.
27:31You have to get.
27:32There we are, right.
27:34It's lovely to see this great community of people, of all these Dabawalas coming together.
27:39You don't get that with Justine.
27:41I think they recognise me as one of their own.
27:43Um.
27:45Oi.
27:46Let's see.
27:47Nice to meet you.
27:49The Dabawalas' daily deliveries are deemed so essential,
27:53they're granted their own train carriages, free of charge.
27:56Is this the right train?
27:58Come, come, come, come.
27:59Oh, thank you very much.
28:01Oi.
28:06How many stops?
28:07Seven minutes and three stops.
28:08Three stops.
28:09Three stops.
28:09This is a special Dabawalas' carriage,
28:11where presumably everyone just hops on and travels for nothing.
28:14I'll tell you who'd really love this, Ravi.
28:17Through breeze.
28:21I mean, it's a fascinating glimpse of this ancient artery of, of Mumbai.
28:26And even, er, even on the first day of monsoon,
28:29I think it is working absolutely like Doppler.
28:39In the morning, Churchgate Station is just one of the city's main commuter hubs for office workers.
28:44But, as noon strikes, legions of Dabawalas' arrive with lunch.
28:54This is one of the central sorting areas for the Dabawalas.
28:58And this is where their clever code of colours, numbers and symbols comes into its own.
29:04Oh, yes, right.
29:06That goes...
29:0721.
29:08Yes.
29:09Look.
29:1021.
29:1121.
29:1221.
29:13It's completely brilliant.
29:15There's no computer involved.
29:16There's no automation.
29:17It's all done by code and everybody knowing what they have to do.
29:21These guys really put in a shift, but only get paid between $4 and $10 a day.
29:27Erm, we've suddenly got the orders to move on there.
29:29Where am I going?
29:31I'm going out in the road.
29:33A little bit of traffic.
29:38It's interesting on the monsoon front.
29:40Once you've...
29:42Once you've kind of given in to it, it's...
29:45It's sort of okay.
29:46It's warm.
29:48Erm, and I've given up pulling this face.
29:55Okay.
29:56Where are we going now?
29:57Ah.
29:59I'm taking this.
30:01Ah.
30:02This is where I get off, I think.
30:08That bloke seems to have ditched me.
30:10I need somehow to work out where I'm going.
30:13Well, I guess the clue's here.
30:14I will look for Street 21.
30:17I'm looking for a building that begins with R.
30:21And, er...
30:23And then I need to be on the fourth floor.
30:27I'll maybe just tag along with these guys.
30:29Come on.
30:30I'm part of this team.
30:32I don't know, I...
30:33Is this ridiculous?
30:34I feel like...
30:34I feel like aircrew must feel as they stride through an airport.
30:38I feel we're...
30:40We should pop our chests out.
30:41We are the...
30:42We are the lunchmen.
30:45We are fueling Mumbai.
30:47Lunch?
30:48Consider it done, my friend.
30:52Oh, yes.
31:01Well, here we are.
31:02Raymond House.
31:03That is the R in the code here.
31:06Er...
31:06Four.
31:07Four, four.
31:08So, simple as that.
31:11This has been exciting.
31:12And a unique glimpse of the city.
31:14And I think that Dabawal has worked just as hard as those whose lunch they serve.
31:18Essential workers, if you like.
31:21Floor four.
31:23Hello, Mr. Kirkane.
31:25Ah.
31:30Ah, Mr. Kirkane.
31:32Oh, hi.
31:33I bring...
31:34There you are.
31:35I hope it's still warm.
31:37Of course it is.
31:38It's a little bit wet, I'm afraid.
31:39Perfect.
31:40Every day you have this.
31:41Do you have the same Dabawala every day?
31:44Yes.
31:45But this is wonderful.
31:45So every single day you get something from home.
31:47It has happened since last 20 years.
31:50It's soothing that every day I get home food.
31:53Yeah.
31:53Perfect.
31:54Thank you very much.
31:55It was very nice to meet you.
31:56Not at all.
31:57Actually, I hope you enjoy your lunch.
32:00Sorry about the puddle on the floor.
32:05I guess I can take this off now.
32:09I'm going to keep that in honour of this extraordinary occasion.
32:15I've really...
32:17I've really enjoyed that.
32:18I feel like I've sort of been through the entire intestine of Mumbai.
32:22And then finally delivering the food here to Mr. Kirkane.
32:26Why?
32:27Because he wants to eat Mrs. Kirkane's food.
32:29Simple as that.
32:31Or rather lovely.
32:32Oh, yeah.
32:33I'll be keeping that.
32:36It's already time to leave this mind-boggling city.
32:40By starting in Mumbai, we hope to avoid the monsoon, but it has arrived 16 days early.
32:47Global warming, I suppose.
32:50In some respects, it's just added to the drama.
32:53It's been hot, wet and hectic.
32:56So, Mumbai, rich with history, but careering headlong into the future.
33:02It's clearly going somewhere terrifyingly fast.
33:06I hope it...
33:07I just hope it keeps its roots.
33:10Because they're very beautiful roots.
33:14I bid farewell to the city of dreams and head north, to India's capital, New Delhi.
33:20The government spent $13 billion improving the road between the two cities.
33:25But it's not actually finished yet, so I've jumped on a plane.
33:34Delhi is now home to over 34 million people, making it the second largest city in the world, just behind
33:41Tokyo.
33:43I first came here as a wide-eyed backpacker over 35 years ago.
33:48I don't remember much, except the tuk-tuk rides.
33:52I thought I'd give it another go, just to see what's changed.
33:56I was about to say a piece about how interesting it is and how pleasing it is that they drive
34:01on the left-hand side here in Indy.
34:04Because it turns out that everyone is driving in every direction on this road.
34:07But you know, such is the fun of Delhi.
34:15Yeah, there we are. The car coming straight on.
34:21Now we're going to cross straight into the pathway.
34:24Oh, here they come.
34:26That's it. Here they come.
34:28Traffic coming the other way.
34:30Look at this man carrying it at the front of a car on his head.
34:36Delhi holds the dubious honour of being the world's most polluted capital city.
34:43It's crammed with two million cars and over five million two-wheelers.
34:48There are around 220,000 tuk-tuks on the road, more than half of which are now electric.
34:56When I first came to Delhi, like many others, I made the 200-kilometre pilgrimage to the Taj Mahal.
35:08After the madness of Delhi's busy streets, I've come in search of something altogether quieter.
35:19And I think I may have found it right here.
35:32I've been told it's the place to sense the soul of this great city.
35:38Delhi was established over 3,000 years ago as a Hindu city.
35:43And over the intervening centuries, it's famously been destroyed and rebuilt seven times.
35:48So a city led by different empires, right from the early Hindu kingdoms through the mighty Mughals,
35:55right up to the British Raj and now modern Delhi.
35:58Each period has left its mark.
36:00And this astonishing building, Humayun's tomb, built in the 16th century by Humayun's widow,
36:08marks the dawn of the grand period of Mughal architecture in India.
36:13And looking at it, it is quite astonishingly intricate.
36:17You just can't help but think, ah, every step, so impressive.
36:25After Humayun's death, his wife, Empress Begar Begum, commissioned this remarkable mausoleum,
36:32set in vast gardens to represent paradise.
36:35And I'd say they get it spot on.
36:38I think they were rather phenomenal, the Mughals.
36:41They had an empire from the 16th century to the mid-19th century,
36:45right across the Indian subcontinent, almost to the southern tip.
36:49They were Muslim, but they were very tolerant of all the different cultures within their empires.
37:03These steps leading up to the mausoleum are meant to be wide enough and deep enough for an elephant to
37:10be able to climb them.
37:12It's all about access, you know.
37:23Now, those Mughals knew a thing or two. Not only is this dome magnificent, but also it's a natural air
37:31coolant.
37:32Because it's actually stifling hot out there, and in here, lovely and cool.
37:48India is racing into the future, yet Hindu tradition still shapes nearly every part of life, and death.
37:57Cremation, followed by the scattering of ashes in a holy river, remains a sacred rite, unchanged for more than 4
38:04,000 years.
38:06The most revered place for this final journey is Varanasi on the Ganges,
38:11India's famous holy river, believed to purify the spirit and free the soul.
38:18Delhi may not have the Ganges, but it does have the Yamuna River,
38:22and on its banks, the city's busiest crematorium.
38:28This is the Nigambord Ghat. This is where people bring their dead.
38:33Usually within 24 hours of dying, they bring the bodies here and they cremate them.
38:43You know, everyone stands around and watches the body burn,
38:49and then the ashes are all sent out into the larger river and swept away to sea.
38:55Hindus believe that death isn't the end.
38:58The soul is reborn again and again on a journey towards spiritual liberation.
39:04Cremation helps release the soul from the body, allowing it to move on,
39:09and rivers, especially the Ganges, are seen as sacred pathways to the divine.
39:14People are standing incredibly close to the, close to the event.
39:20I mean, that's quite, that's quite something.
39:25You actually witness the, the decomposition, the breaking up of your, of your loved one.
39:32I'm quite surprised how normal it feels.
39:38I mean, it's a proper farewell.
39:41We're very bad at dealing with old age and death in the West.
39:45We don't really like to acknowledge that that's where we're all heading.
39:51Cremation can be costly, and for the poorest it becomes one final obstacle on the soul's journey to peace.
39:58There are 450,000 homeless in Delhi, since it is a huge magnet for all kinds of people who come
40:05from districts far and wide.
40:07And a lot of them don't have contacts here, they don't have any friends.
40:11Quite a lot of people die unconnected, as it were, unclaimed, you might say.
40:23They can stack up all this wood. I mean, all of this costs money.
40:27Every week, the Delhi authorities recover around 50 unclaimed bodies.
40:32Many are homeless people who've died in the night from hunger, dehydration or illness.
40:38Others are victims of road or rail accidents.
40:42The smell here is largely of smoke.
40:47Suddenly it's not, I think, a timely cremation.
40:55Nothing is known about this newly arrived body. Not even a name.
41:06I'm helping ensure he receives the most basic last rites, paid for by kind donations.
41:35It's a sobering end to a life, and a world away from the other send-offs I've seen here.
41:58Next time, I follow in the footsteps of over two million international travelers to India's most exotic region.
42:05There's a kind of majesty that still dazzles.
42:08Pink cities and glittering palaces await me in Rajasthan.
42:13Oh, and I discover where the A-listers buy their bling.
42:16I mean, it's staggering.
42:18Before heading south, in search of India's elusive big cats.
42:22Alarm calls.
42:23There, there, there.
42:25Tiger.
42:25Tiger.
42:30What happens when these great beasts end up in your front garden?
42:35Hippo Watch with Steve Backshall continues brand new tomorrow at eight.
42:39A hotelier on the very edge calls for the hotel inspector,
42:42but is the SOS too late to save a sinking ship?
42:45That's new next.
42:55I'm sorry.
42:55I just started dancing.