Ephemeris of the Mind (Show Review) James May: Our Man in India
Time to read: 2 min read
Show Cover
India always feels like it’s trying to beat you up, and I think that is the key to a successful visit—walk out of your hotel, take a really deep breath and allow India to beat you up. You’ll enjoy it and it will do you good and don’t for a moment think that there is any point in fighting back because India will always win.
Previous James May: Our Man reviews:
Review
India has always been a polarizing travel destination in my mind; my (Indian) friends who have visited either loved it or hated it. In the new James May travel series, he embarks on a journey across India. While still (trying) to bring his typical witty and self-deprecating humour, it's clear that India isn't as a purely positive experience for him as was the case in Japan and Italy, his previous two travel destinations.
For one, the season is half the number of episodes as each of the first two seasons. The restrictions on filming and (allegedly) May getting food poisoning both point to a production that was troubled. In the previous two seasons, while May may be in uncomfortable situations, it was clear that it's all in good humour. In India, however, there were many instances where one can tell May is genuinely not having a good time, such as the constant honking and overly eager crowd.
Despite this, May does manage to showcase some of India's beauty and appeal, such as the genuine friendly hospitality of many locals and the deep spirituality of much of the population. I do believe India has so much potential as a travel destination if they can figure out better civic education for their society and better infrastructure. I do still want to visit India, though.
Conclusion
A short travel show where the host did not always have a good time.