Way Back Home Series
Way Back Home series is an independently produced Indian Travelogue series — a first-of-its-kind audio/visual franchise from India that explores the original narratives of young, authentic, passionate travellers as they embark on a road to self-discovery. Covering an entire diaspora of activities steeped in travel, adventure, music, lifestyle, people, and fun, the Way Back Home series is crafted in rich, unscripted cinematic style with soulfully tailor-made background scores that capture the essence of life and diversity of Indian terrains.
In the Season 1 titled Way Back Home | A Himalayan Travelogue, filmmaker Rohan Thakur, aka Ronnie, a young Himachali lad embarked on an introspective journey of self-discovery across the seven valleys of the Lower Himalayan ranges. With a mission to travel, not tour, Ronnie took the audience along with him on an unforgettable ride in true, authentic style.
The series is independently produced by Shoelace Films, a subsidiary of SLF Media and was co-directed by Rohan Thakur and Bharati Bahrani in its first season. The background score and original music were composed by Rohan Thakur. The series was licensed to MTV Indies between 2014–15, and was relaunched on TheVibe, India's digital-first video content destination for authentic and experiential stories.
The series in its second chapter titled Away From Home | Discovering The Andaman Islands | Way Back Home - Chapter II[1] introduced coral reef researcher Nayantara Jain who teamed up with Rohan Thakur to explore the scenic beauty of the Andaman Islands. Away From Home[2] was launched on TheVibe's Official Facebook and YouTube pages on July 8, World Oceans Day 2016.
Way Back Home | A Himalayan Travelogue
Episode Guide
Episode 1 – Kullu and Manali
The journey begins – Rohan travels from Delhi to Manali, to find his hometown covered in a blanket of snow. He explores the narrow alleyways of the bazaar eating thupka and momos, eventually making his way to the streets of Old Manali where children were sledging down the snowy slopes.
An integral part of every pahadi’s life during the winter is keeping warm. Rohan discovers the process of "tandoor" making and the joys of bathing in hot Sulphur springs. He then shows us his favourite spots in and around Manali that include the local pine forest, a special picnic spot by the river and the ultimate chill spot – "Jogni Falls".
Episode 2 – Kullu Valley and Parvati Valley
Having spent the formative years of his life in Manali, Rohan is extremely passionate about skiing. In this episode, he travels to Solang Nala to see locals and tourists enjoying themselves in the snow, and also to have a couple of runs down the slopes himself.
He travels to the mysterious village of Malana in Parvati Valley to see how the villagers celebrate the festival of "Phaguli" - the local New Year.
The episode ends with a short hike up to "Bijli Mahadev", a small temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. This marks the end of the time spent in Kullu, and beginning of the real journey into the winter wonderlands of his home - Himachal.
Episode 3 – Mandi and Kangra Valley
Rohan makes his way to the holy town of Rewalsar where the Buddhist community has come together to celebrate the birthday of the Great Master Padmasambhava. The main event of the day is the "Chham" or the "Devil’s Dance" where a group of monks adorns elaborate costumes and masks and dance in perfect synchrony with one another to depict tales of Great Buddhist Masters.
He then makes his way to the ancient Kangra Fort, which lies nestled in the foothills of the Dhauladar Range. From here he travels to the quaint town of Bir where he discovers the joys of village life and the thrill of jumping off a cliff and soaring in the sky!
Episode 4 – Kangra Valley and Chamba Valley
One of the main goals of this journey was to go off the beaten track and try and discover new places and experience new things. While travelling around Kangra, Rohan hears of a temple that remains submerged in the Maharana Pratap Sagar Lake for most of the year, and only emerges from the water during spring. He hops onto a boat to look for this hidden temple and finds a surreal sight waiting for him.
He then drives deep into Chamba Valley to the remote town of Bharmour, from where he embarks on an action-packed journey to the village of Kugti – the last village in Chamba Valley.
Back in Kangra, Rohan spends a relaxing few days in McLeodganj before trekking up to Triund where he pitches his tent under the starry night.
Episode 5 – Sangla Valley (Lower Kinnaur)
Leaving the foothills of Kangra behind, Rohan starts climbing higher towards the Sangla Valley in Kinnaur. While exploring the stone paved pathways of Kamru Village, Rohan stumbles upon a procession in which the local deity is visiting different households to bring in the New Year. It is a day filled with various rituals and ceremonies that end in a party with a lot of singing, dancing and drinking!
The party never ends in Sangla Valley as the New Year celebrations are followed by the festival of Holi. Rohan marches along with a parade from village to village as they perform skits and sing and dance while gathering an audience as they move along. After five whole days of making merry, the villagers bring out their deity to culminate the celebrations and to pray for a good year.
Episode 6 – Upper Kinnaur
In Kalpa, Rohan yet again witnesses the celebration of the New Year, but this time around things are a bit psychedelic! Bejeweled men and women dance to trippy beats as the "Mountain Fairies" watch on.
From Kalpa, he drives further up the valley to the village of Nako. Everything changes along the way. The landscape flips completely from lush, green grass covered slopes to bear, brown gigantic jagged mountains. The way the people look and talk, what they eat and wear, even the religion changes as Rohan travels higher into the Himalayas.
Episode 7 – Spiti Valley
The vast panoramic views in whitewashed Spiti give one the feeling of being a tiny, insignificant speck floating in the Universe. The majestic Kee Gompa stands proudly on top of a hillock looking out at the vast valley below.
Rohan travels to the Upper Belt of Spiti to one of the highest villages – Kibber, where he stays with a retired teacher and learns a thing or two about the harsh living conditions in the region. He then moves to a village called Dhankar where he gives high altitude organic farming with yaks a shot!
Episode 8 – Spiti Valley
Spiti Valley sizzles with mystic magic! One can actually feel the energy pulsating in the air. Rohan spends a day at the magnificent Tabo monastery. The pyramid-like structures enclose statues and paintings, which are in almost perfect condition and give one a glimpse into the past. He is then invited to spend a special "ladies-day-out" with the women of Lari.
The last stop in Spiti takes the crown for being the most spellbinding place of them all – Langza, "the Home of the Gods". It is one of the highest villages in the world and certainly the most mesmerizing! Out here people believe in the forgotten sect of Tantric Buddhism. Rohan was fortunate enough to witness a Tantric ritual that involved communication with the supernatural entities.
Episode 9 – Lahaul Valley
Rohan treks across the mighty Rohtang Pass to enter Lahaul where his family’s roots truly lie. He visits the village of Tholang where his grandfather was from, and is surprised to find that it is no longer a "village" but rather a collection of concrete blocks amidst potato fields. Even though Lahaul remains cut off from the rest of Himachal for almost half the year, it is probably one of the most affluent areas of the state. But most of the Lahauli’s have left the home behind in search of better opportunities.
Rohan then heads out to the tiny little village of Teeling where his mother grew up. He meets two old aunts of his who take care of the family’s home and fields. Like everyone else, his family too has left Lahaul far behind in hopes of finding a brighter future.
Episode 10 – Lahaul Valley
The grand Mahakala Puja performed at the Shashur Gompa is a treat for all the senses. Monks draped in maroon robes chant verses in Tibetan accompanied by banging cymbals and bellowing horns. Hours pass by as one sits transfixed by the sounds.
In Upper Keylong, Rohan explores an ancient Lahauli home to find out how people lived in the good old days. He ends his trip in Lahual at the Khangsar Khar, a long forgotten castle that lies sadly dilapidated in the heart of the valley. As is the case with most of Lahaul, empty rooms and corridors lie lined with cobwebs and no one to look after them.
Episode 11 and 12 – Leh and Ladakh
Rohan is in his closure mode as he recalls and reminisces his entire journey over the past few months all, he is just lost in the vastness of the Valley and takes on a bike ride across to clear his mind. He also explores the influence of religion in the valley and the why it’s become an international tourist destination. He is also intrigued by the architecture in the towns and gets inquisitive with an expert on the subject.
Towards the end he also experiences a traditional Leh funeral ceremony and wonders thoughts into mortality where his purpose is sort of defined as to what he needs to do with his life and what his calling is, at this juncture the shows flashes all the memorable moments in the journey and concludes.
Episode 13 – Behind the Scenes
The Last Episode of the Season 1 Way Back Home series gets Behind the Scenes with the cast and filmmakers. This segment features the Executive Producer of the show Asad Abid, Co-Director Bharati Bahrani, and Co-Director, Music Composer, and Narrator Rohan Thakur.
Away From Home | Discovering The Andaman Islands
The Second Chapter of Way Back Home Series trails marine biologist, coral reef researcher and ocean conservationist Nayantara Jain who teams up with filmmaker Rohan Thakur to uncover the unhindered beauty of the Andaman Islands. Launched with 5 episodes[3] that were released on TheVibe's Facebook and YouTube pages, Away From Home[4] walks through an immersive experience, soaking in the sights, sounds and activities of the local Andamanis.
Episode 1
Tara picks up Rohan and Bharati from the airport, before embarking on a ten-hour ferry "Dering" to the Little Andamans. As they set sail, they witness a school of dolphins giving them company, before they reach Little Andamans. Here they discover Andamans' famed forests with trees the size of "three-storied buildings," and some of the most surreal sights and sounds, such as "The Big Waterfall."
Episode 2
In the Second Episode, Tara and Rohan continue to explore the secrets of Little Andamans and its turquoise blue waters. Tara takes Rohan surfing, after which they visit the Kaala Patthar Beach and its secret lagoon.
Episode 3
The Third Episode begins with Tara and Rohan leaving in a convoy from Jirkatang as they travel through the Jarawa Tribal Reserve, where photography is strictly forbidden. They head to Mayabunder to John's Homestay. John introduces the travellers to the "Karen" culture and its people. Karens are the largest ethnic tribe in Burma and were brought to the Andaman Islands from Burma by the British in 1925. The travellers then make their way to the Avis Island, where Tara goes free diving in its tropical waters.
Episode 4
The action shifts from Mayabunder to Port Blair as the travellers head to Havelock Island. Here they visit Beach Number 3, before exploring the small market where the town comes to shop. The next day, Rohan and Tara meet Tanaz Noble who runs a kayaking tour operation. The travellers explore the Andamans by kayaking through the mangrove rainforests. The next leg has Rohan and Tara visit Beach Number 7 also called Radhanagar Beach, which has for long been considered amongst Asia's most beautiful beaches.
Episode 5
Rohan and Tara visit Lacadives, one of India's most well-known scuba and diving centres. Here Rohan tries scuba diving for the very first time. An ace diving instructor, Tara guides Rohan as they witness Andamans' most glorious aquatic life up close.
References
- Express Web Desk, . (June 8, 2016). "World Oceans Day: Discover the Andaman Islands". Indian Express.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
- Murthy, Neeraja (June 22, 2016). "Nature at its pristine best". The Hindu.
- Das, Ananya. "'AWAY FROM HOME': THIS SPECTACULAR TRAVELOGUE WEB SERIES SHOWS THE UNEXPLORED, UNTOUCHED BEAUTY OF THE ANDAMAN ISLANDS". www.tubescoop.com. Tube Scoop.
- Goswami, Parismita. "Interview: After Himalayas and Andamans, TheVibe to explore South-East Asian and Middle-Eastern countries". International Business Times.