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rob and rylans passage to india s01e02
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00:06To
00:06Two tickets for Udo for please
00:08Do you take the train at home? I don't but I built a train station at my house. What do
00:12you mean?
00:13Because I love trains. You've got a train set? No, I've built a train station
00:17I've got like a digital display board and I've got the Ryland line the map. What do you use it
00:22for? Just for a laugh
00:23It's like an installation art piece. Yeah, that's exactly what it is
00:26Hi darling. You all right? Yeah, you sit down. Have a good old lick. Will you do that if you
00:31could?
00:32Hey, but I wouldn't leave the house if I could do that
00:35Last year we got a taste for adventure on our grand tour of Italy and it changed our lives
00:42I gave Ryland a crash course in art appreciation
00:46And I showed Rob how to let what's left of his hair down
00:50Our cultural odyssey taught us new things about ourselves and each other
00:55I have been looking at a painting for half an hour. The experiment is working
01:01Now we want to take it to the next level you're stunning. We're getting out of the galleries and
01:08Right to the heart of the art. It's like Banksy on crack and culture
01:12Of one of the oldest civilizations on the planet just walk just walk we're in India
01:18We have no taboo. You know our gods make love you know he can't get to me. Oh, oh, that's
01:24a big one
01:25Oh, don't go from here with following in the footsteps of E.M. Forster who a century ago
01:30Changed the way the world saw this country in his dazzling novel a passage to India. That's here. That's exactly
01:38that's literally here
01:46Yeah, we're on our own passage to India
01:53Through India
01:55You know I think I've got diarrhea
01:58And out the other side
02:00To see if the art and culture of this amazing country
02:03Look at the detail can show us how to live our best lives. This is incredible. Why am I doing
02:09I do anything stupid that what?
02:14That is the most beautiful art that I've ever seen. What a huge clock. I feel like as the trips
02:21going on
02:21It's getting better and better. I don't know what's coming next
02:27Don't read it do it
02:40Oh God, it's quite busy. Yes. Oh, no, this isn't no yes, you'll be fine, darling
02:49Hey, not gonna lie this isn't the kind of luxury travel I signed up for
02:54It's such up there if you like
02:59It's holiday season and the train is Ramo with families traveling across India to be together
03:07Namaste everybody
03:12My literary hero E.M. Forster described train journeys as gates to the glorious and unknown
03:22On his travels in India he discovered a land rich with art and culture and we are doing the same
03:30We've left the smog and chaos of Delhi behind us and we're heading 350 miles southwest
03:36To a region famed for its natural beauty its traditional crafts and its royal palaces
03:43Rajasthan the land of kings
03:47There's lots of different royal families and right wonderful art and all of that sort of thing
03:51It's full of beauty and it's just everything you'll love is it nice of them the train
03:57What do you mean nice look how friendly everybody is is there anyone going to Udhapur?
04:02You like Udhapur?
04:04Best city of India
04:06Ah
04:08Thank you
04:10On Forster's second visit to India in 1921 he took a job as a private secretary to a maharajah
04:19This was the maharajah he worked for
04:22Oh wow I know beautiful
04:25And he said it was so bonkers that the only way that somebody could understand his job would be to
04:30watch a gilbert and sullivan opera
04:32Because it's so preposterous and extraordinary
04:45I think I've got diarrhea
04:48This isn't the place Robert
04:50But what am I going to do I've got something you can't you cannot go to the toilet on the
04:54train
04:54I'm serious my wood would you actually yes of course well?
04:58You know you're a bigger man than I am I'd rather poison myself
05:02Why?
05:03I could only go to the toilet at home anyway I've got to be completely naked
05:06You've got to change the look
05:07I can't even wear a sock
05:10I have to be completely naked to go to the toilet
05:12So what does that mean if you're sort of out or something?
05:13I would never do it it would never happen
05:15What do you use a cork or whatever?
05:17No I just I just self-dispin
05:20I have to take my ring off my watch off sometimes I have to take the earring out
05:27Are we there yet?
05:28We're there
05:29Welcome to rajasthan love
05:31Lang the kings
05:36First stop in rajasthan
05:38Udaipur
05:40With its stunning landscape lakes and palaces
05:43No wonder it gets called the venice of the east
05:48For centuries this city's been buzzing with arts and crafts
05:52So when it comes to architecture they went for it big time
05:58We're in a family portrait rob we're in a family portrait
06:04Thank you very much thank you
06:07Goddess style
06:09Your goddess style?
06:10I'll take it
06:11What is that to you?
06:13What is that to you?
06:14This is really nice
06:15Udaipur city palace is an epic creation
06:20Begun in 1559 its 800 foot long facade hides several smaller palaces behind
06:27It's like a theatre where it's the centre of the princely court
06:31It was built by the Udaipur royal family
06:35One of hundreds of dynasties that ruled separate kingdoms within india until 1947
06:41When the nation united as a republic and they lost their official status
06:49But still living here with his family today is crown prince lakshia raj singh mivar
06:56Hello hello how are you lovely to meet you lovely to meet you welcome
06:59Raj nice to meet you your greetings good afternoon raj is lovely
07:02Nice to meet you thank you so much
07:05This is my first time in india right and obviously back in the uk we have our royal family
07:10And i'm learning that across india there are many royal families
07:13Yes
07:13So do you all know each other do you have like little parties
07:17Well yes of course i think we definitely know all each other
07:20What brings us together is weddings and events and functions
07:23Where we all do catch up and i think keeping tradition alive being able to share our culture
07:27Is a strong part of all our motives today in the 21st century
07:31Have you got like a secret royal whatsapp group where it's like
07:35I've just had the lounge done I'm very sorry to disappoint you but no
07:40I wonder what it's like being the custodian of a place like this
07:43Our ancestors our forefathers made it created it commissioned it
07:46Yeah
07:46You know so you carry that legacy with you
07:49So how important is family to you
07:52Oh it is exceptionally important i think it is it's your foundation it's your base it's your identity
07:58It's the values that you carry and i think we put that entire thought process in that
08:04One word of vocabulary called the family
08:09Keeping centuries-old traditions alive is tough now the indian royals no longer have power
08:14You've clearly broken one of the laws haven't you
08:18Hello namaste happy diwali
08:21So to make ends meet they came up with a genius rebrand
08:28The yudaipor royals transformed their palaces into museums and luxury hotels
08:35Then in the 80s they sold their glamour and beauty to the world with a little help from a certain
08:41movie
08:43Well this is a gaff
08:45Not it
08:46It feels familiar
08:49This is james fond isn't it that's right it's octopussy absolutely
08:53Octopussy starring roger moore at his most suave and sophisticated made uddaipor's palaces world famous
09:02Roger moore stayed here that's right for the whole shooting of the films that's right
09:07There are a lot of pictures right outside of this courtyard with my grandfather my father
09:11roger moore this is also part of art not just the conventional art that people talk about you know
09:16I think it's also preserving a certain sense of culture that we also want to share with people
09:22This is just so beautiful are you feeling bond girl i'm feeling very
09:29Anything from the trolley mr. Bond does that mean me james bond absolutely not
09:35Raj has something else up his sleeve a style of art that uddaipor is famous for
09:40Forget james bond this is like a movie before movies were even invented
09:47So this is basically a miniature school of painting you are seeing at least three or four scenes in just
09:53the one painting
09:54So it begins right on top and then it is an entire circular painting that comes through and ends on
10:00your right as well
10:01So it's a entire journey that is being shown by the artist why is it called miniature then it doesn't
10:07necessarily mean in terms of size of
10:09The painting but it's in the style of painting because all the figures are very very small. They're all tiny
10:16This style of miniature art yes, that's still really alive and kicking in uddaipor
10:20Absolutely, there are so many people traditionally keeping this alive for generations
10:25You'll see two three or four generations doing it together
10:28And I think one thing you must do is in the old town go out there and see people that
10:32are still keeping it going even today
10:34Thank you so much. Thank you
10:36Thank you so much. It's lovely to have you and whenever you come back to uddaipor you know you have
10:40a home here
10:41Right that was on camera. Yes
10:45I absolutely love this art. Yeah, I really like this art and I want to get to know this art
10:50as well. Yes
10:50Before we follow raj's top tip and head to the old town
10:54Oh, watch your head
10:55We're swinging by the palace gallery with this collection of miniature paintings not to mention the miniature doors
11:03These exquisite miniature paintings show the royal family in incredible detail hunting dancing even going for a dip
11:12Made by teams of court painters who use natural mineral pigments applied with tiny squirrel hairbrushes
11:22I bought you something
11:24I believe it was professor plum in the library with a wrench have you used a magnifying glass donut?
11:29I know how to use it, but no, I don't own one but crazily you own two
11:33That is really impressive i'm not gonna lie look at the detail
11:42A special feature of uddaipor paintings is how they play around with space and time here the king pops up
11:49in several places at once
11:53Do you know what it's like? It's like an up market where's wally?
11:59Where is he? Well, he's everywhere, but is it him? Well, he's why am I calling him wally? He's a
12:05man of everything gorgeous
12:10The narrow streets of uddaipor's old town are completely chock-a-block with craftspeople making everything from sculpture to leather
12:19work
12:20After you darling thank you and among them live father and son shankar and shirag who paint modern-day miniatures
12:34Just like royal court artists centuries ago they work as part of a team
12:40And we are working with wazwo he's an artist yes, so we are collaborating with him
12:47One person does the background right my father does the border
12:51Oh
12:54And i'll finish with the figures in it so this is layer upon layer layer
12:59But also the work doesn't have one creator one artist a lot of artists have big egos
13:06You know they want the art to be this is about me and my extraordinary scale
13:10Does it not feel a little bit strange and not to think the work is just mine yeah?
13:15No, because in our team all all the artists are very talented
13:18We know what we are doing and we know in what we are
13:22Specialist so the work is a creation of a community and of a family yes, yes
13:27So this series is tribute to mother art mother art yeah this oh that goat's having a nice time in
13:35it look
13:37This work is so intricate
13:40How do you even go about creating brushwork so thin very easy i can
13:45Okay, he does it all freehand
13:50That is the tiniest yeah i think i've ever seen in my life
13:55You look up to your dad yeah
13:57When i was kid i just wanted to become like my father
14:00i did masters in fine arts
14:03When i was in college i was taught all the modern art but this tradition art is disappearing because you
14:09know
14:09It takes time nobody wanted to give that time they wanted to do some abstract modern stuff
14:15I i love looking at the details you know it's about craftsmanship that you learn through generations
14:22It's that idea of practicing something over and over again until you get it perfect
14:27That's a life in art well lived that's the value of it
14:37How'd you organize it got contacts hello mate
14:41So do you know him you do i know art floats rob's boat but there's only so much i can
14:48take on a hot day
14:50i'm sweating like a glassblower's arsehole
14:55How lovely is this this place was made for romantic instagram posts if you're in a couple
15:04You know when i'm not in a relationship it's this quiet thing where people tilt their head
15:09oh yeah yeah see what i mean oh oh don't worry right someone to come along
15:14feels like somehow that i'm a kind of sad old gay man you know that has a relationship with his
15:19mom
15:20there is that thing that like gay men always like look after their mom yeah they'll never leave you know
15:25ian forster's life was a little like that he had this very
15:28complex sort of slightly fraught relationship with his mom
15:31he looked after her his whole life he would always sort of write to her she was he's confident
15:36he's confident his absolute closest person although insofar as we know he could never be truthful with
15:42her is he a homo are you kidding me was he gay what i can't actually talk to you right
15:50now you didn't
15:50know ian forster was gay no you're not joking swear to you i did not know that he's like a
15:55gay icon
15:56in writing the liza minnelli of literature never knew that oh it's a big old guy it certainly was
16:02very secret and sort of closeted because of edwardian times and all that his mum could never
16:07really accept him so he was always having to put on a face i get that but you don't do
16:12that though
16:13don't you know no i don't do that and you don't do that no god no but we will die
16:17alone with our
16:18mothers my mum she's my world of course she is but she does my nothing so much like i'll be
16:27around
16:27my house yeah she'll just turn up i could i could have anyone now just lets herself in well you
16:32mean
16:32you could be with someone okay it's happened that i've been in bed on a saturday morning with a swedish
16:39man and yeah 9am she turns up at my house walks in whose car's that well i've never run out
16:46of my
16:47bedroom so quick and pushed a 70 year old basically down the stairs how old well she was 70 at
16:52the
16:52time not that's not the man ken l i thought you'd opened your bracket up no darling i'm not doing
16:58care
16:59in the community fuck me i can't bear being mothered the idea of my mum having keys to my house
17:08fills me
17:09with unremitting dread see what's funny i find myself doing that to her i've had cameras put in everywhere
17:16anywhere what do you mean like big brother yeah i just want to make sure she's all right yeah let's
17:20show you let's see if she's in you can look from the middle of hoodo where your mum is in
17:24brentwood
17:24that's exactly what i'm doing so let's go to her house now it's bonkers oh she's mowing the long
17:33linda hi linda
17:37linda do you mind being under surveillance maybe i don't mind oh boss where are you i'm in udai
17:47poor i'm on a i'm on a lake i don't think so i ain't seen none yet i'll ring you
17:54later love you
17:57that's absolutely the most mental thing in the world
18:02this is so lovely yeah it's pretty romantic with the sun going down do you regret it with me instead
18:07of with a lover no a little bit yeah no i'm glad i'm looking i think it's better with friends
18:17it's
18:17definitely better with friends you know we never go wrong plus you ain't got to touch them up exactly
18:24good i pause miniature paintings and lakeside palaces have been stunning but with rob feeling
18:30a bit loved up it's definitely time to move on thank you thank you thank you namaste
18:39we're heading 200 miles northeast to the cultural capital of rajasthan a place so colorful it's like
18:46an artwork in its own right jaipur known as the pink city
19:02i love it again and it's pink it's more terracotta it's a bit so pedantic you're worse than me
19:10it's rather calm don't you think it's very calm
19:17it's wonderful this is jaipur la la la jaipur urban myth has it that jaipur was painted pink
19:28traditionally the color of hospitality to welcome the british prince of wales later edward the seventh
19:34when he visited the city in 1876 oh my tits are jumping up and down
19:43jaipur
19:48in fact jaipur has been pink ever since it was first built in 1727 by the king who gave the
19:54city
19:54his name maharaja sevajai singh the second
20:02jai singh wanted to emulate grand imperial cities like delhi and agra which were built from red sandstone
20:09trouble was jaipur didn't have any of that so they used rubble and plaster and slapped a load of barbie
20:15pink
20:19on top
20:20but unlike older indian cities jaipur was planned with wide boulevards all meeting at right angles
20:26jai singh who founded this city put it on a grid system you know oh like new york and glasgow
20:33it's glasgow built on the grid system yeah i didn't know that jai singh was determined to make jaipur a
20:40center of artistic excellence he invited craftsman from all over india to set up shop in his magnificent
20:47new city it's the city of trade you've got everything from stonemasons to jewelers to scaffolders oh
20:55big shoot down to the ground precisely right now jaipur is heaving it's only three days till diwali the
21:04festival of lights everyone is preparing for the big night when families will get together for prayers and
21:10parties lighting lamps and fireworks it's a bit like the run-up to christmas but without the inflatable
21:18santas here everything gets a makeover for me india feels like more is more anything here could be art
21:28the outfits that people are wearing the gorgeous headwear and even a market stall that's just something
21:33that's just so basic it's just covered in these marigold flowers and streamers and anything can be a work
21:42of art in india i mean even the cow pats are decorated with flowers people have obviously picked
21:49them up and like shaped them into things and i know cows are holy and i get that but i'm
21:53like
21:53oh so we're even dressing up shit
22:00one of the joys of traveling with a friend is you can ditch them whenever you want to go your
22:04separate ways
22:07so this morning while i brush up on my history at the palace rylan's looking for something more
22:13up his alley art you can wear at the oldest jewelers in town the gem palace good morning i'm rylan
22:21samir nice to meet you samir lovely to meet you too oh wow look at all of this
22:25samir kasli val's family have been royal jewelers since the city was founded
22:32originally my family was from agra and then we were brought here to to jaipur and then we started
22:38the business in the same exact location where we are standing right now wow they've helped make jaipur
22:42famous for dazzling jewelry and intricate gold and enamel designs i'm a generation of the family business
22:50with my brothers we passed our job from father to son the same thing happened also with our artisans
22:57did you work with your family i work with my mum on tv sometimes but that is in small doses
23:03and my brother works for me as well um taking me to him from work but i think that's enough
23:10we'd end
23:11up falling up oh my god is this what i'm going to wear for my next wedding there we go
23:18there you go
23:19oh look at me oh i'm this is it i mean if i had this for my wedding i'd definitely
23:25get a prenup
23:27i just love the sparkle with it all i adore it i mean it's classic essex isn't it like a
23:33bit of sparkle
23:35the last time that i ever bought diamonds was my wedding and my engagement ringer i designed them
23:41and had them made um and i've still got them um but i could i could never wear them again
23:49the last time i looked at them was the day i took them off three and a half years ago
23:54and i remember exactly where i was filming an advert and up until the last second on set i had
24:01a body
24:01double and the body double had a ring on i had my rings on and right at the last minute
24:07before action
24:07i received a text and i just switched and went bang and i just remember hearing get the rings off
24:18the
24:18body double i remember that really well what did the text say you'll never know that simon
24:37i've been invited upstairs to see the family's private collection of masterpieces
24:42looked after by another member of the clan samarth i mean it's like the barbie drain house thank you so
24:49much i love it i have something super interesting to show you made for the metropolitan museum of
24:55art in new york oh wow here you have a diamond necklace you see it's almost like a fabric oh
25:02my god
25:02it is look at the way it moves and as beautiful as it is from the front you have to
25:08observe it from
25:09the back oh my goodness it's called the wearer's pleasure it's not only for your eyes but also for
25:14your body to feel as well because no one's really ever going to see this it's only for you it's
25:18like
25:18a secret you're sharing as much outward looking it is so stunning the intricacy of the back that's
25:26the body side that no one ever gets to see apart from you is just as impressive as the front
25:30and i
25:31think it basically says that we can be outwardly beautiful but we need to be beautiful to ourselves as
25:38well oh my god and this is something which you can't even count the number of elephants no look
25:48the feet are all done as well may i of course that is the most beautiful piece of art i'm
25:57going to call
25:58it art thank you that i've ever seen so if i wanted to buy this how much am i looking
26:03at if it had to get
26:05bid on uh where would it start okay the starting price would be nothing short of 600 000 pounds
26:13and you know these are the sort of things which used to excite the maharajas they had so many
26:17court jewelers at that time for indian royals this kind of bling was a symbol of power as well as
26:24a
26:25fashion statement the maharajas commissioned some of the most extravagant pieces in history
26:30and it wasn't just the prices that were eye-watering i thought it'll be only fair that i show you
26:36something which usually hides in our family safe but truly it's a masterpiece of workmanship okay oh
26:44oh that's a big one isn't it is it used i know it's just an old antique piece okay uh
26:51ryan why don't you
26:51hold it and uh sorry it's just an instant reaction i grew up um the balls actually dangle the balls
26:58have uh engraving on it oh oh it gets dirtier the more you look we call it the weapon oh
27:07i can see
27:08why this is the silver weapon split you in half there is a hidden secret in it huh that's easily
27:13a 12
27:13venture uh yes you would know better i was so here you have a piece which is a man and
27:22a woman on top
27:23of a lion oh my god it's like them little clicky toys you used to get in happy meals exactly
27:29but not
27:30with the penis and all the sex or the breasts or it's not like it all really how old would
27:38this be
27:39it's almost 110 years old 110 i find this strange that this was around that time because brits
27:45especially like the rajas they're a little bit stuck up and they're a little bit like oh oh no
27:50couldn't have that i'm surprised that this was around that time this sort of art has existed in
27:54india for more than you know thousand two thousand years what do you think rob's up to well we've had
27:59a little split up today um and knowing rob he's probably looking at some art or building and just
28:06having a wonder and going oh yeah i get that i get that it's magnificent and if you were to
28:11ask him
28:11he'd probably say probably got cock in his hand and he'd be right there's a thought
28:21i've come to jaipur's city palace where each successive courtyard reveals new wonders
28:28i'm meeting kalinika who works for the royal family hello and welcome welcome to the city palace
28:35jaipur you're standing right now in what is called the sarvatabhadra sarvatabhadra yes what does that
28:41mean it basically translate to a perfect square so what you're looking at was historically used as a hall
28:47of uh private audience this is where the maharaja would meet all of his nobles and his courtiers
28:53but right behind you yeah what you see is the chandramahal chandramahal being moon palace is that
28:59where the royal family lives absolutely it's their residence palace all of this architecture all of
29:04this art represents different art forms it wasn't just done for a tentation it created employment
29:11so for example the fresco work is refreshed every year or so by local artisans exactly so without this
29:17place would that die out yes exactly it's an extraordinary thing to think you know all of these
29:22court crafts from the 18th century are still alive breathing day inherited family to family father
29:30to son father to daughter mother to daughter and and also teacher to scholar so it's beauty with a
29:36purpose it is beauty with a purpose absolutely
29:41the public parts of the palace are a splendid showcase for jaipur's traditional crafts
29:48but behind the scenes is a true hidden gem
29:54this jewel of rome is part of the presidential palace of the family the royal family of jaipur and
30:02what is this gold leaf and gemstones it's gold leaf it's belgian glass this is grand and intricate and full
30:10of
30:10bling the thing that india has switched on like turning up a dimmer switch to 10 is that everything
30:17is art here everything each of these rooms we have three of these by the way yeah is also dedicated
30:23to
30:24one of the craft forms you know the different crafts and what's this craft so mina curry is enameling
30:30kundan mina and mina curry is where you stud gemstones precious gemstones into gold to create these flower-like patterns
30:39originally from persia mina curry comes from the word mina meaning paradise jaipur is famous for it as
30:47rylan has been seeing over at the gem palace this is absolutely beautiful when edward the seventh came
30:55here in 1876 the royal diary recorded jaipur enamel why all the best workmen in london paris vienna and rome
31:04admit they cannot match this wonderful work this room is also called the diwali room because we
31:11used this for the festival of diwali to celebrate that and in this particular building on the ground
31:17floor is a space where the diwali puja happens each year a blessing let me take the opportunity of
31:21inviting you and royal in to join us on diwali would you like to do that so is the royal
31:27family going to
31:27be here yes absolutely that i'm inviting you on behalf of the royal family really you'll be their
31:33guests i i first of all um i'd be honored um we would love to have you it's a experience
31:40i'm sure
31:41that you would you don't get to really see yeah uh yes please i can't speak i can't speak on
31:46behalf of
31:47rylan but um yeah babe it's what he probably said what does one wear in jaipur traditionally we wear blue
31:54and black on diwali you could wear a shavani what's a shavani what the maharajas wear okay we're allowed
32:01to wear that yes of course i think i need to go shopping shopping now we're talking but when it
32:14comes to fashion rob's the gay that style forgot diwali festival of lights so it's lucky he's got me on
32:22hand
32:23to help it's gonna be so exciting hi oh wow look at all of this we have been invited to
32:31the palace
32:32okay for diwali so we need some royal outfits okay and i need to look banging okay are we all
32:39right to
32:39have a little look yeah yeah you don't get much more banging than a shavani a fancy long coat worn
32:45at
32:45formal dues just black and blue but you you have to wear black you can have a little suggestion so
32:51could i
32:51have like gold yeah buttons yeah this traditional dress is a legacy of the british rule in india
33:00before those days posh indian men wore these tunics called jamas with a tie around the middle known as
33:06a camera band and trousers called pajamas which translates as garment for the legs
33:15it was only in the 19th century under british rule that the shavani was invented a tailored buttoned
33:21up look that was a fusion of british and indian fashions okay i like that one i want to try
33:27that
33:28one on oh that's nice that would go with your arlene phillips i'm not going to lie i bought them
33:32with
33:32me because i wanted to have a bit of height because i'm standing next to you and i show me
33:36trust rob to travel with his shoes from strictly yeah this will go with this yeah yeah okay there's
33:43loads of stuff up here put that here okay i'm going to try that on as well what do you
33:48think about
33:48wearing a turban i think you'd look lovely in a turban em forster like many brits visiting india
33:55in the days of the raj tried dressing up in local costume
34:00he wrote it was a very funny scene a magnificent coat of claret colored silk
34:06and cocked rakishly over one year was a turban of scarlet and gold
34:12you know i quite want to wear one and really go the whole hog all it takes is one photo
34:16yeah and
34:17someone just go look you know you're culturally appropriating people be like oh look what he's
34:23dressed up as cosplaying in india exactly um i'm from england he's from essex okay do you think
34:32it's okay to wear this if you're you think yeah can i try one on yeah oh wow oh you
34:38can make one
34:39yeah i feel like i've got concussion you've never worn one before again no i've never you've been
34:46everywhere i'm surprised i'm i i'm not a someone of the sikh faith and neither am i an aging star
34:51you
34:51know like sunset boulevard yeah what's her name norma desmond it is very beautiful are you just
34:58saying that no i actually mean it like the the art of actually doing it is very beautiful i know
35:02it's
35:02actually quite wonderful sitting here will you will you take a photo i don't see what it looks like
35:13i look like martin mccutcheon with a thyroid problem right why don't you get your outfit on and
35:19then decide and then see how you feel yeah let's do it you're stunning i love it yeah and the
35:33arlenes
35:33even look nice doesn't he looks like a bollywood star don't you think yeah very beautiful yeah this
35:40looks so good on you rob i feel fat in it no you you look really turn around you look
35:45really nice it
35:45fits really well putting that with the arlenes there's one two seven eight oh one two step four
35:51change and a five and a six and a seven and cabaret tonight matthew you're going to divali
35:58i definitely don't look fat right you do not look fat look really nice did you really like it yeah
36:06loved it i promise you 100 while we've gone dark and formal for divali at the palace out on the
36:14streets it's a riot of color from gorgeous embroidered saris to brightly decorated dresses and shirts
36:23british shoppers have long been obsessed with india's handmade textiles
36:29patterns pattern fabrics produced by traditional craft called block printing were all the rage back
36:34in the days of british rule inspiring artists like william morris who used them in his fabric designs
36:40and wallpapers the craft still thrives today and we're meeting block printer kushiram panday
36:53so what is block printing literally block printing is basically you know like the we carve the design
36:58on the wood block right so uh this is all done by hand we just trace the design on the
37:05block and then
37:05we chip off the remaining part there has been block printing in rajasthan for 300 years
37:13the blocks are dipped in natural dye and carefully stamped onto the fabric layer upon layer to create
37:20intricate colorful patterns how long have you been doing this just since childhood like i'm a fifth
37:26generation your fifth generation i'm a fifth generation running this craft my father my great-grandfather
37:31they're all doing this uh the block printing wow when you're a little boy did you always want to be
37:36a block painter did you have ideas maybe of wanting to do something else personally for me it's like i
37:41always wanted to be a block printer so i studied botany botany in the biology so i did my bachelor
37:48of science also but after that i i went for a design college and that gave me more direction towards
37:54the craft every single family seems to have their craft they've got their business so you know whether
38:01you're a royal whether you're a jewelry maker whether you're a block presser it's the family that's what
38:09keeps it alive do you feel conflicted about that about what well the idea that waking up one day and
38:15realizing my father's job was a taxi driver and that's what i would be channeled into which was
38:19actually my dad's experience of it and it made him miserable forever pretty much i think there is
38:25something lovely about tradition i think there's something lovely about upholding that family name and
38:31yeah i get you know if a kid's like i want to be an actor and it's like no you've
38:35got to be a block
38:35presser yeah i get that's different but it doesn't seem like that here when i was growing up coming
38:43from a working-class community the things that i ended up becoming barrister and ongoing learning and
38:49all the rest of it be like that ain't for you but you know the thing is what mattered to
38:56my mom and to
38:56a lot of us was aspiration she started her business and clawed her way out of whatever
39:01expectations society projected onto her and was successful ultimately you don't really escape the
39:08values you learn you're never at arm's length from the importance of family cheers up cheers robert
39:16i don't need to keep calling me robert yeah i feel like i'm with my mum hello boy
39:21that's it since being here we've met loads of people who well for whom their family is the epicenter
39:27of their life what's your family like you remember we come from the east end yeah so we have a
39:34big
39:35family blood family anyway but you also have family that aren't blood that were just your cousins growing
39:40up and and people like that like you know you listen to posh types they say oh i couldn't possibly
39:47say
39:47that to my cousin couldn't possibly say that to my brother well look and so they walk around like a
39:52pin to play the thought of that in our house i would i genuinely think i would collapse dead to
39:59the
39:59floor but i got this a lot when i started bringing my mum onto the scene right and the way
40:03you treat
40:04your mum you need to learn some manners and i feel like saying if you haven't got that relationship i
40:09feel
40:09so sorry for you that's how i feel because if my mum says something to me i'll go i'll pluck
40:12your chin
40:13like and people go like that is so disrespectful and i'm like you've not known joy in your family
40:19then because it's love it's sort of unfettered honesty yeah that's family no people say go to
40:24india it will change you what it has done it's just reinvigorated in my head how important family is
40:30i want one day fingers crossed to have kids not about you you know don't forget i'm older than you
40:38like 10 years yeah it was quite a lot and so when i was coming out it wasn't a possibility
40:42it wasn't
40:43on the buffet i've got to a stage now i'm so set in my ways i don't know what if
40:48you met the right
40:49man tomorrow and he wanted kids i just think i'd be too afraid of letting somebody i just don't think
40:55i'm good enough let me tell you one thing you are good enough but it's all right not to want
41:01kids
41:02i've just it's just always been my plan get the husband get the range rover get the kids i just
41:08wonder if i'm too selfish but i think the second you had kids you you'd change i just want them
41:14to
41:14be fully formed it's all the beginning bit well you could adopt i'd love that you could get a four
41:21year old ready to go but you know what rob you'd fall you'd never feel love like it i don't
41:28think
41:28as long as they were kind and had nice manners but they would be because they'd be raised by you
41:33and me probably god he's so that'd be the dream come in uncle rides right have you finished that i
41:40have darling i'm getting like you look i'm to life look i'm to life not to family it's a family
41:55no one knows what's around the corner there's like wind out i'm wearing your hair be careful
42:02robert be careful all right let's just cross and be brave but three centuries ago indian scholars
42:07believed that they could unlock the mysteries of the future with an extraordinary construction
42:12do you have the tickets you've got the ticket oh yeah what do i do them you give it to
42:17the man oh yeah
42:19oh wow
42:22it's like a modern art installation yeah
42:27this is the janta manta an open-air observatory built in 1734 by jaipur's founder and keen stargazer
42:35jai singh each of these massive objects is a yantra a scientific instrument for measuring the
42:44movement of stars and planets in the sky what do you think that is it's got to be something to
42:50do with
42:50time time and presumably the various positions of critical parts of the zodiac yeah in hindu belief
42:59the movement of the stars shapes your destiny for jai singh the science of astronomy and its more
43:06woo-woo cousin astrology deserve their own architectural temple i do love a bit of astrology
43:13you're not really into it are you i do i like all this you wouldn't make any important decision i
43:18won't
43:18make an important decision based on someone's star sign no however i do think i am a typical scorpio
43:25my mom doesn't believe in it but then she says i'm a typical gemini like when i'm nice i'm really
43:30really nice and when you're off you're really off yeah i think you are a typical gemini to show rob
43:36it's not just a load of old cobblers i've found a local guide rakesh my name is rakesh hi rakesh
43:42i'm rob
43:44so my friend this is a world biggest sundial wow accuracy how many seconds two seconds two second accuracy
43:52see it's the huge scale that makes the sundial so accurate 27 meters high the movement of the
44:01sun's shadow is tracked along a giant ruler divided into two second intervals morning time on this side
44:09and there's a known time on this ball this is midnight okay then after evening time on oh it carries
44:16on yes what a huge clock that is a massive clock yes jai singh made no distinction between astronomy
44:26and astrology he built instruments for observing the positions of the planets at different times of day
44:32for each sign of the zodiac this is gemini oh look so hang on but this time this instrument is
44:38not
44:39working what do you mean it's not working because this is a month of a scorpio i guess i'm scorpio
44:45am i working yes i'm working okay my month isn't working apparently it's a good job i don't believe
44:52in it and this is a scorpio oh i want to touch it so astrologer come here right so it's
44:58here then make
44:59the horoscope so i need an astrologer yes so what do i need to tell them my date of birth
45:04date of birth
45:05time of birth time of birth and place of birth okay i know i know two of them i'm not
45:11sure on the
45:12time i'll have to double check i love things like astrology i love tarot readers psychics i just love
45:19all of that and if there's an opportunity to go and see one i'm in jaipur they really believe in
45:25this
45:25stuff this is the place to do it have you had your horoscope before yeah and has it come true
45:31so yeah
45:32i don't know what my future holds but i certainly know it's not going to be informed by whether or
45:36not my moon is rising up venus's bottom i know you think it's all a bit and i like all
45:42of that but
45:43we need to understand this properly we both know where we were born we really need to find out the
45:47times that we were born then we can find out our constellation so you're gonna call i would say
45:52ghostbusters but i think linda in this instant will be better all right i'll call my mom for it and
45:57then
45:58we'll go and see someone and find out just concerned my mom's gonna tell me my whole birth
46:01story oh i'm not gonna be there for that so what if they tell me something awful they're probably
46:07telling the truth i've got to phone my mom there's no way i'm gonna do that without a drink
46:15it's good shit as well all right you having a nice time yeah do you know what it's so different
46:24out here mum just i mean you wouldn't get in a car out here for a start imagine france at
46:31the arc
46:31of triumph and times that by a hundred oh no hi marjorie hello my darling are you having a great
46:40time
46:40it's absolutely exquisite i'm gonna go and see an astrologer so i just need to know the date the time
46:48and where i was born so i know the date's the 25th of october i know it was it was
46:54a tuesday
46:55about five and twenty past eight 25 past eight yeah something like that are you sure i thought
47:02it was 11. oh do you know what i think you're right i think jamie was five and twenty past
47:07eight
47:08and you was just gone 11. rob yours was a perfect birth oh i'm gonna be sick okay an hour
47:16and a half
47:16labour in the evening 8 14 on wednesday the 31st of may 1978 and there you were so you were
47:26an
47:27absolute gift and have been ever since and don't make a face when i say i'm actually going to vomit
47:32i can't bear it i know rob's not convinced but in india loads of people visit astrologers for help
47:41making decisions in their daily lives so i've hooked us up with a man who has over 45 years
47:48experience in the art of seeing into the future
47:54we've given him the lowdown about our births and i'm hoping professor vinod shastri will give me and rob
48:01some much needed guidance well let's do it i'm very excited so we do rob first yeah yeah okay a
48:08lot of
48:08ascendant occupying ninth house it is good sign for long life oh that's good but uh you are very
48:18emotional and very uh dominating so and not sacrificing easily about personal life and children they're not
48:30possibility uh children you can adopt how do you know i don't have children because it's the lord of
48:39children is jupiter jupiter and venus together so they are enemy stars
48:46okay i'm very skeptical you didn't google me or anything like that no it's no guarantee but
48:51i'm looking here you and i'm predicting yeah okay carry on carry on and uh you are outside you're
48:59looking fulfilled internally many times you're feeling emptiness yeah i thought the longer he went
49:06on the less persuaded i was by it but i think he identified traits in me which are not unique
49:14to me
49:14but were you know pretty bang on venus and jupiter it's very excellent i think you will get name fame
49:21and money a lot of traveling around the world that's good i mean that's sweating oh gosh i got it
49:27i got
49:27that there was a real emotional benefit you know i've come away thinking oh that's really fascinating
49:32what about rylan oh here we go is he a very complex person that why you know complex it's uh
49:48k2 is in
49:50fifth house second house so sometimes in teeth or ent problem can possible to you yeah okay that's true
49:58and uh sorry also in the lungs some problem also in legs the joints the calcium problem about personal
50:12life so many confusions in your mind you are lonely happiness is not with you because you have a good
50:22house good car but you are not good sleep yeah and for that if you help the handicapped people get
50:32blessing by these people then you will get happiness because in your past life your lifestyle was not very
50:40good what did i do in a past life he was in a royal life he was royal royal but
50:50some
50:52not good decisions right so he was a bad queen bad not very reliable to your life partner right because
51:00of that region in this life never you feel happiness in relationship or personal life forever because you
51:08have so many relations oh my god i'm a slut i mean i was expecting to walk in there and
51:13go oh you're a
51:14very lovely person you will find love you deserve love but i think he called me a prostitute and the
51:22cancer is your ascendant lord of cancer is moon and moon is very powerful to you so whenever there's
51:29a full moon yeah i get a headache do you have a slightly psychiatric problem psychiatric problem yeah
51:38the fuck i'm sure he just said i need psychiatric help only once a month and i'm a slag and
51:45i need to
51:46help the disabled i help my mum all the time she's got blue badge if i just paid to be
51:53told that i've got
51:55lung issues i'm gonna have calcium issues in my legs apparently i'm a slag and i'm psychotic
52:06and that's why i get headaches from the moon i love all this year i'm telling you now
52:11russell grant won't have said that to me
52:18whether or not the moon makes rylan a complete lunatic
52:21its position is what determines the date of india's annual festival of lights
52:25diwali and tonight's the big night while families across the country are gearing up to party
52:33celebrating the triumph of light over darkness we're also off to a family bash and this one's
52:41as posh as it gets stop we're going to the palace i'm going to the palace
52:46you're not nervous about meeting his majesty are you do i look good you're beautiful then i'm not
52:52nervous at all
52:56the most lavish celebrations in jaipur are at the city palace as a royal in a former life
53:03i myself can't wait 11 000 lamps and candles light up the grounds honoring the hindu gods
53:17god it's so beautiful uh hang on a minute what i'm getting flashbacks of a past life
53:25yeah this was mine and that's where mummy used to love to play the piano
53:31oh it's so romantic i feel like i want to propose don't okay
53:46we're joining the private religious ceremony that kicks off the royal family celebrations
53:53it's called the lakshmi puja worshiping the goddess of wealth and prosperity
54:04prayers flowers and sweets are offered to bring good fortune for the coming year
54:10and we're sat right behind the maharaja and his sister
54:36you know if i was to go back 12 years 13 years whatever but i think fast forward and i'd
54:42be
54:42sat at diwali with the king of jaipur no darling didn't have it on the bingo card
55:01sit down i'm getting butterflies sit down with the religious ceremony over
55:07i can't take him anywhere we've been granted an audience with jaipur's most eligible bachelor
55:13the 26 year old current wearer of jai singh's crown maharaja savai padmanab singh
55:22hello your highness lovely to meet you happy diwali happy to have you thank you pleasure to meet you
55:27happy diwali it's so lovely to be here how are you and the family going to be celebrating um well
55:32as
55:32you saw earlier we start evening with um a little puja uh we pray for light in people's life love
55:39in
55:39people's life and happiness in people's life and then this is followed by a little gathering with close
55:43friends and family and and we hope that everybody has a prosperous year which is why we get together
55:49and celebrate it this way it's very beautiful you're as a great patron of the arts why is beauty and
55:55decoration and art important to you well for us in jaipur over here this really is such an important
56:01part of our identity the city of built around the idea of promoting the arts and crafts
56:10i've got to ask what is a party like in this gap well i think that the one thing that
56:16you can say
56:17about indians is that we know how to celebrate oh you loved it didn't you don't suck up you like
56:28your
56:29highness i thought he was attractive shut up he was attractive there you are and listen
56:34i've got a wink well only so far as he had to look up at you he might have had
56:38a sty
56:46you can just hear the whole city i celebrate in diwali the whole community has come together
56:53there are fireworks going off in my peripheral everywhere and i just want to get out there and
56:59feel it myself me too
57:04me and rob have been blown away by the gorgeousness of rajasthan on a level deeper than we ever expected
57:12sometimes you can get beauty fatigue but the thing about this part of the world jaipur oudaipur
57:18the beauty never runs out it's everywhere on the street it's in the sky it's in the sky it's in
57:25the
57:25people's smiles it's in the community spirit the traditional arts and crafts passed down through
57:31the generations and still keeping this place buzzing today you know we've learned so much about family
57:38so to sort of end with the royal family is uh very special but friends the people that come into
57:47your
57:47world they're your family too and they are like diwali the light in the darkness the ultimate blessing
57:55are you starting to see each other as family i think we do see each other as family yeah like
58:00what relative would i be where would you place me we're done paul
58:06so
58:15so
58:18so
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