The Hand Of India

PERSONAL REFLECTION

The Hand of India was born in the opening months of a 15-month, shoestring backpacking trip from the southern tip of India to Costa Rica. It was my second time visiting the country, so part of me knew what to expect — and the other part knew only to expect the unexpected. Those who have been will understand how intoxicating India is; from the rich aromas of its inner-city bazaars to the emerald greens of its jungles and tea plantations, and the sense of chaos matched only by the spiritual scale of its mountain ranges.

I set out without much of a plan, other than to document the culture, people, and rapid development of this vast, inspiring place. I wanted those back home to feel what it’s like to walk India’s streets, stand shoulder-to-shoulder with its people, and immerse themselves in its layered traditions.

My kit was minimal — a Sony A7Sii, a Canon 24–70mm lens, a rusty old Glidecam 2000, and a laptop — which allowed me to blend into each environment, moving at the same rhythm as the streets I was filming.

Editing began on the road, often in sweltering £2 hotel rooms, sometimes with my laptop balanced on a closed toilet lid — the coolest surface I could find to stop it overheating while rendering. But it wasn’t until I returned to the UK that the final cut took shape, influenced not just by the footage, but by the dream-like memory of India that had settled in my mind after time away from it.

Whilst cutting, I kept returning to one track: Ludovico Einaudi’s ‘Primavera’. Its tone seemed to perfectly mirror my experience of India — poetic, peaceful yet powerful, and beautifully chaotic. On a whim, I reached out to Ludovico to ask permission to use it, never expecting a reply. To my surprise, not only did he respond, but he told me he loved the film and was happy for me to use the track. That generosity elevated the project into something far more emotive and complete.

The film’s reception was far beyond anything I’d expected. It received a Vimeo Staff Pick, screened at international festivals and conferences, and was nominated for the Travel Video Awards in Las Vegas. It was also featured by Blackmagic Design’s Splice Community and discussed in an interview on the Zero to Travel podcast. That recognition opened the door to a new chapter in my career — one where travel and filmmaking became deeply intertwined. Since then, I’ve been hired to create travel-orientated films for global brands, bringing the same stripped-back, human-focused approach I honed while making The Hand of India.

At its heart, this film is about connection — the connection between people, culture, and the values that bridge them. Making it taught me that powerful stories are held in the broad emotions we experience when on the road, when you’re open enough to receive them and committed enough to see them through.