‘The India They Saw’: This documentary time-travels to an era when dark skin was highly esteemed in the country

Bengaluru: Did you know that there was a time when people in this region preferred darker skin? In fact, they applied something to make their skin darker. This is one of the things we learnt while researching for our film, The India They Saw, said Alfonso Tagliaferri, Consul General of Italy in Bengaluru.

The 30-minute film, which narrates the travels of two great Venetian explorers -- Marco Polo and Niccolo de Conti during the 13th and 14th centuries -- is a joint venture between India and Italy, he said. Apart from the Italian Consulate, the film is supported by Karnataka's Ministry of Tourism, Archeological Survey of India, and Baldota Group.

Among the things that the film highlight are a few surprising facts including that people in those days applied some oil – some believe it is sesame – to make their skin look darker and that holi was celebrated with much fanfare in the Vijayanagara kingdom, too, which is said to have ruled from the modern day Hampi, said the director of the film, Ganesh Shankar Raj.

“In fact, we think the European-looking figure in one of the wall engravings in the Brihadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur (in Tamil Nadu) is Marco Polo,” said Raj.

It is indeed recorded in the book published by Penguin, “The Customs of the Kingdoms of India” (Marco Polo’s diaries translated by Ronald Latham) that, possibly in the Pandiyan state, the darkest man is the most highly esteemed. But Polo being featured in the Thanjavur temple is contested by some historians, stating that the timeline does not match.

Tagliaferri said it all started when he was watching a presentation on Hampi along with Karnataka’s Minister for Law, H K Patil, at an event both were invited to preside over.

“As the slides of Hampi appeared, I realised there’s not much we know about Hampi in Italy. For most of us, India is defined by Rajasthan, Kerala, and of course, Taj Mahal,” said Tagliaferri.

The idea for a documentary was sparked after a chat with the minister. The idea took shape when filmmaker Raj, who is also the Founder and CEO of Mindia, a digital platform focused on showcasing India through engaging and visually appealing content, agreed to the project.

Raj said they zeroed in on Niccolo de Conti initially, as he had travelled through Hampi in the 1430s, and his detailed accounts of his travel, published as manuscripts, had a great influence on European understanding of India.

“But de Conti was not a popular figure. In fact, I was not aware of his existence until Alfonso told me. So, we decided to include the journeys of Marco Polo as well, a more well-known Venetian, whose accounts of India could have possibly inspired de Conti to undertake his journey,” said Raj.

The film is also dubbed in Kannada and will soon be dubbed in Tamil. “Perhaps, in Italian too in the near future,” added Tagliaferri.

“This documentary stands at the confluence of history, diplomacy, and imagination. At a time when cross-cultural understanding is more vital than ever, the film hopes to foster goodwill between our nations and inspire a deeper appreciation of our shared legacies,” said Raj.

For Tagliaferri, the religious tolerance and the beauty standards of those days, which are so different from modern India, are a revelation that he was happy to have come across, just as he was completing his journey as Consul General here.

“But what hasn’t changed is the sense of awe that one feels when one encounters India. Polo and de Conti were left in awe when they journeyed through India centuries ago. The same sense of marvel still fills the eyes of visitors today, as it did mine when I arrived three years ago,” added Tagliaferri.

The film was released officially on June 23 at the Bangalore International Centre in Domlur.