THE BEATLES AND INDIA Documentary dives deep into The Beatles’ India journey

LEGENDARY British band The Beatles massively impacted global music, countless artists that followed in their giant footsteps and popular 20th century culture.

The fab four also had a close connection to India and while others have scratched the surface of that bond, none have taken a deep dive like this newly released documentary film.

Archive footage, musicians, fans, celebrities, everyday people, and those who witnessed actual events are brought together to tell a fascinating story of the world’s greatest band’s Indian journey. This ranged from The Beatles simply liking music from the country to spending prolonged time there in search of spirituality and carrying forward influences into their lives and songs. The skilfully made documentary shows how the band created an important corridor between India and the West.

On one side they impacted those living in the country, including Bollywood, with their music and on the flip side they helped make Indian culture and spirituality global. Interesting chapters include George Harrison and Ravi Shankar’s close bond, and how the band was impacted by spiritual yoga guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

Apart from the archive footage, what makes this a special film is the sheer range of people who have been assembled to tell the story. This adds an amazing authenticity to this well-made film and gives glimpses of their journey that hasn’t been seen before.

The film also revisits Indian sites the band spent time in and speaks to those who were originally there. The only missing element is that songs from the pop group are not used and that was perhaps due to budget constraints. That doesn’t take away from a great film that is like an important document of history.

Fans and history buffs will take away most from this, but younger audiences will find plenty to enjoy in the film. Accompanying albums of songs and the score are set to be released.