The Hindu Business Line : Discovery Atlas

The Discovery Channel will celebrate India’s Republic Day by telecasting a special episode, ‘India Revealed’ (9 pm), which is part of a seven-country ‘Discovery Atlas’ series, to be aired every Saturday.

The series is an attempt to showcase different countries — Italy, China, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico and Australia — through the history, geography, civilisation, industry, technology and lives of the people.

Each of the two-hour episodes will be presented by a celebrity from that country. While film-director Mira Nair will showcase India, Hollywood icon Russel Crowe and Italian actress and filmmaker Isabella Rossellini have been roped in to introduce viewers to the magic of the gondolas of Venice.

According to a Discovery press note, the China episode was filmed in 40 different locations across China, with the Great Wall of China being filmed at a temperature below 20 degrees Centigrade.

While South Africa took the filming crew to the deepest mine in the world — Tau Tona in Gauteng Province — shooting was carried out in the Sundarbans mangrove through an “incredible 20 feet high tower made of bamboo felled from the jungle, which was as steady as a rock”.

In Italy, the perfect tiramisu was found in a small family-run restaurant!