The Great Indian RailwayAN OVERVIEW

The Significance of Railways in the Indian Society• Breaking boundaries

• A Fascination for Many

• Job Creator

• Imbibing “Discipline”

From the Documentary’s Perspective

• The portrayal of Desert at the beginning of the Documentary symbolic of the transportation Facilities prior to the evolution of Railways

• “Those who didn’t fear it came to see for themselves” as an indication of curiosity

• The Narrator’s description of Railway Drivers (Train Engineers) as “hero” symbolized the importance of the job

What are the Legends referred to in the Documentary?

• The Steam Locomotives – Their arrival compared to that of a “living creature preparing for the long journey ahead”

• The now "historical” trains – Frontier Mail, Tamil Nadu Express, Grand Trunk Express.

• The now Prestigious trains – The Tourist Trains.

People’s Perspectives• Trains as a means to understand India and its people

• “Ticketless passengers” an important character of Railways

• Socio – Economic backgrounds

• The variations observed in the natural landscape .which is not evident when travelling by air

Railways as a Recognition• The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

• Constructed for transportation of Tea

• Has one of the oldest Loco Workshops

• Its not just a train.... Its a toy train!!!

Unsung heroes and the trust amongst them• The cabinman, gatekeepers, Keyman, Pointsman, Station

Masters

• Trust amongst the employees of different divisions for smooth operation of Railways

• The Last Steam Trip of Pondicherry Special an evidence of the trust that exists between the employees

The Symbols of Power and Luxury• The huge responsibility on the shoulders of Mr. Vishnu for

the smooth running of Central Railway

• The Gwalior Light Railway and Tourist Trains which are a reminder of the Princely state Railways.

The Effect of Voice Overs • Arouse emotions in the minds of the audience

• The Black Beauty Contest as symbol of the end of the era of glorious steam locomotives which were once the “heart and soul”

• The grave voice throughout the documentary reminds the Audience of seriousness and the emotions that are attached to the extinction of the Steam Locomotives

• The disappearance of the Darjeeling toy train down the hill symbolic of the doom of Steam Era

Concluding Remarks

Questions?

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