Indian MP and acclaimed writer Shashi Tharoor, visiting Russia on a current tour as Chair of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, is taking up a new challenge — a documentary series for the Russian state-run broadcaster RT (Russia Today). The series, named 'Imperial Receipts', was announced officially on Wednesday.
The new 10-part documentary will explore the legacy of colonialism, especially in Indian history, borrowing extensively from Tharoor's highly acclaimed publications like Why I Am a Hindu, An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India, and India: From Midnight to the Millennium and Beyond.
The show is scheduled to be broadcast on both RT International and its Indian subsidiary, RT India, in a twin platform launch targeting international and Indian viewers.
Tharoor took a preview of the project with him when he appeared on the most recent installment of 'The Sanchez Effect', an RT hit talk show. He indicated that the series was actually in production but did not state a definite release date.
Tharoor also referred to critical geopolitics issues during the interview, such as the India-China standoff. He outlined what New Delhi needs from Beijing, and provided insight into China's close friendship with Pakistan, which remains one of the key points of strategic tension in South Asia.
Tharoor is currently in Moscow, where he recently met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the Primakov Readings, a leading yearly forum of world affairs specialists.
Synonymous with his refined oratory and internationalist perspective, the Congress leader has long been at the forefront of defining India's global identity. Most recently, he has headed a cross-party Indian delegation to the United States and a number of other countries as part of the diplomatic drive Operation Sindhoor, initiated in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack.
On the tour, Tharoor and his colleagues stressed India's strong position against terrorism and set out the larger vision behind Operation Sindhoor, which seeks to redefine counter-terrorism cooperation and discourse on international platforms.
When he returned from the mission, Tharoor also met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for whom discussions were said to have centered on how to bolster India's diplomatic outreach and anti-terror activities.
As he presumes the role of documentary commentator and tour guide through India's colonial history, Tharoor once again marries diplomacy, intellect, and storytelling — this time on an international broadcast platform.
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