To see and read before leaving for India

Recommended authors

The first recommended author is Dominique Lapierre. Passionate about travel, writing and cars, he wrote La Cité de la Joie in 1985. He tells the story of Paul Lambert, a French priest, going to Calcutta to help the inhabitants of shanty towns and to establish bridges between the different religions which stand alongside each other. The book is a tribute to religious people who worked in these Indian shanty towns and one of whom, Gaston Grandjean, obtained Indian nationality in 1992. The entire royalties of this book were poured into the foundation in India which Dominique Lapierre created with his wife.

The second author is Rohinton Mistry, a Canadian of Indian origin. One of these books that I recommend is L'équilibre du monde, which retraces the life of a district of untouchables during the years of a state of emergency. For me, it is a highly recommended read before your trip to India.

Films

Slumdog Millionaire, produced in 2009 by Danny Boyle, has been seen, or at least heard of, by almost the entire world. It was a huge global success. The story is about a young boy from the shanty towns who takes part in Who wants to be a millionaire? Throughout the game, he looks back on his life. The film literally takes us on a journey across India but we are equally made aware of the interaction of tourists with the Indians.

The film Gandhi, shot in 1983 and produced by Richard Attenborough, is a biopic about the life of Gandhi. The film lasts approximately 3 hours and is a good representation of this man's incredible life who had a lasting impact on India and the world. Gandhi started his professional career as a lawyer in South Africa, a country in which he defended the Indian minority. Later on, he was to become the pioneer of non-violence and would become an immortal figure in the fight for peace.