0:00:03 > 0:00:06Don't you think it's astounding that our planet supports
0:00:06 > 0:00:08seven billion of us?
0:00:08 > 0:00:11BABY CRIES
0:00:11 > 0:00:13And counting.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24Learning to survive in a crowded world is our biggest challenge.
0:00:27 > 0:00:32But there's one corner where we're already well on our way to adapting.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39Welcome to India.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43Over one in six in the world live here
0:00:43 > 0:00:48and, in a few years, will be the most populous nation on earth.
0:00:51 > 0:00:52We're resourceful.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58And we're tactical at playing the long game.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04It's not just the here and now that matters.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Still I'm waiting for one chance.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10It's the future of our family over generations to come.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19The cycle of life might be one of our spiritual beliefs,
0:01:19 > 0:01:23but in a crowded world, it's also a material opportunity
0:01:23 > 0:01:26for a better future.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36A WALTZ PLAYS
0:01:50 > 0:01:55Meet Swapan, one of the shrewdest dealers in Kolkata¹s main fish market.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22Swapan has fish sent up from the Ganges delta every night.
0:02:22 > 0:02:23Amid cut-throat competition,
0:02:23 > 0:02:28he employs every tactic to sell them at the best possible price.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Having started his working day at 3.00am,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Swapan heads home for a short rest.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21He lives with his wife, Ruma, and his two daughters, Ahana and Anesha.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27On top of his all-consuming fish business,
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Swapan¹s volunteering the little time he has left
0:04:29 > 0:04:33to organise his neighbourhood¹s Durga Puja celebration.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42But he¹s not just on his local committee for the prestige
0:04:42 > 0:04:47he hopes that the Goddess Durga¹s blessings will help his business.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55All over the city, rich and poor
0:04:55 > 0:04:58are building fantastical temporary structures known as a "pandals"
0:04:58 > 0:05:02to show their devotion and creativity
0:05:02 > 0:05:05and, ideally, to upstage the neighbours.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25Swapan¹s excited about his contribution to this year¹s design.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41The committee are still considering his ambitious plan
0:05:41 > 0:05:44of a stocked pond as the star attraction.
0:06:50 > 0:06:55The responsibility for supporting the family is a huge, all-consuming task.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59From the moment our kids start school,
0:06:59 > 0:07:04the expectation of expanding the family¹s fortunes is placed squarely on their shoulders.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Welcome to Cuffe Parade.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12This illegal settlement in the thick of down-town Mumbai
0:07:12 > 0:07:18is home to two brothers facing the full pressure of their family¹s ambition.
0:07:35 > 0:07:36I...
0:07:37 > 0:07:38love...
0:07:38 > 0:07:40you.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Prakash is striving to launch his lifelong dream -
0:07:55 > 0:07:58to be a Bollywood actor.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Prakash lives in the family one up, one down.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16He shares it with his parents, his elder brother and sister,
0:08:16 > 0:08:20their partners and their young kids.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40MUSIC PLAYS ON MOBILE
0:08:40 > 0:08:42HE SINGS ALONG
0:09:04 > 0:09:07MUSIC: "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Prakash has secretly been putting aside
0:09:37 > 0:09:41some of the salary from his job in the harbour.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46After six months, he¹s finally got enough to get photos taken for his portfolio
0:09:46 > 0:09:49to send off to the city¹s acting agencies.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04But while he¹s busy chasing the Bollywood dream...
0:10:07 > 0:10:10..his younger brother Mangesh is about to come home from his first year
0:10:10 > 0:10:14studying software engineering at a Bangalore university.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17It¹s a contrast not lost on their mother.
0:10:36 > 0:10:37Smile.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09Our dreams of a better life
0:11:09 > 0:11:14must be given the best possible chance of success.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18So focusing a family¹s combined resources on our most promising child
0:11:18 > 0:11:20is simply a pragmatic strategy.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17Once a family has carved out a lucrative business,
0:12:17 > 0:12:21it can be passed down the generations for as long as it remains profitable.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28Clay tea cups are essential for the serious chai drinkers of Kolkata,
0:12:28 > 0:12:33and their demand is guaranteed by being disposable.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36It¹s an ingenious use of local mud.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16Sujit turns this clay from the Ganges into several thousand cups a day,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19working 13 days in every fortnight.
0:13:46 > 0:13:52For all their ingenuity, Sujit and his colleagues need to run a slick operation to make ends meet.
0:14:57 > 0:15:02Sujit¹s own wife and kids live in his village, 400 miles away.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06Renting space here is simply too expensive.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08Like many who come to work in the city,
0:15:08 > 0:15:13Sujit sleeps where he works and can only return home every six months.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49He¹s hoping that the approaching Durga Puja festival
0:15:49 > 0:15:52will boost sales enough for his family to visit.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56But, for now, he tries not to dwell on the situation.
0:15:56 > 0:15:57Drink.
0:16:21 > 0:16:26Sujit¹s workshop is a short stroll from the Ganges handy for bath-time,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29not to mention the all-important mud.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16For us, the Ganges is a sacred being.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19We worship her as a goddess.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22She can wash away the sins of a lifetime,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25and when we die, she bears us up to heaven.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29She also performs more everyday tasks,
0:17:29 > 0:17:33satisfying the needs of the mega-city of Kolkata,
0:17:33 > 0:17:38and washing its effluent away down choked canals and into large shallow lakes.
0:17:43 > 0:17:48These man-made wetlands are the largest sewage-fed fisheries in the world.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58The decomposing waste from the city
0:17:58 > 0:18:01nourishes the ponds' ecosystem,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04which feeds the fish of over 250 fish farms.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12It¹s an unlikely oasis,
0:18:12 > 0:18:17but it supplies Kolkata¹s 15 million people with 30% of their fish
0:18:17 > 0:18:21a recycling service care of the mighty Ganges.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Swapan, the fish merchant, has come down to the river
0:18:30 > 0:18:34to mark the final run-up to the Durga Puja festival.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09Swapan and his fellow bathers are praying that their forefathers
0:19:09 > 0:19:12will bestow health and wealth upon them.
0:19:19 > 0:19:24No pilgrimage to Mother Ganga is complete without devoting some hard cash.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30But we¹re happy to make money here, too.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47Gondal and his best friend, Rajesh,
0:19:47 > 0:19:52use the magnets from old speakers for their very own form of trawling.
0:20:05 > 0:20:11It's the river that provides 19-year-old Gondal and his family with their main income.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Gondal and his entire extended family
0:21:00 > 0:21:04live on unclaimed land just a couple of hundred metres down the river bank.
0:21:36 > 0:21:41Once Gondal¹s reeled in enough money to pay the family¹s food bill for the day, he heads home.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03We¹re not ashamed to dream of being rich.
0:23:05 > 0:23:10For us, wealth is, quite simply, the mark of success.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18Prakash is at work, earning the cash for his brother¹s education.
0:23:18 > 0:23:24Six months ago, he talked his way into a job as a cleaner on a luxury yacht, moored close to his home.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16Prakash¹s daily brush with the high life is a constant reminder
0:24:16 > 0:24:19that he¹s still waiting for a response from the acting agencies.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21One, two, three, four!
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Five, six, seven, eight! Stop!
0:24:24 > 0:24:26To keep his moves up to scratch,
0:24:26 > 0:24:30he runs a free dance class for kids from his illegal settlement.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46MUSIC PLAYS
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Four. Five.
0:24:51 > 0:24:52Six.
0:24:52 > 0:24:53Seven.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Come here.
0:24:55 > 0:24:56Shake!
0:24:59 > 0:25:00Lovely. Come on! Six...
0:25:00 > 0:25:04Dance is huge here, and not just as escapism.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Lovely, lovely!
0:25:07 > 0:25:11It can be a real route to fame and fortune.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27One, two. One, two. Relax.
0:25:27 > 0:25:2811...
0:25:28 > 0:25:2912...
0:25:39 > 0:25:41OK?
0:25:42 > 0:25:44HORNS BLARE
0:25:48 > 0:25:51Prakash is especially excited tonight.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54His brother is back from university in Bangalore.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03It¹s the first time Mangesh has been home in six months.
0:26:21 > 0:26:22Very nice!
0:26:57 > 0:26:58That's called...
0:27:13 > 0:27:15With only days to go before Durga Puja,
0:27:15 > 0:27:19Sujit is up early to tackle his first task of the day.
0:27:30 > 0:27:31HOLLOW CLICKING
0:28:09 > 0:28:13Getting just 25 rupees or 30 pence - for every 100 cups,
0:28:13 > 0:28:17Sujit's lucky if he keeps back 2,000 rupees
0:28:17 > 0:28:19or £25 a month.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21But he's got a plan to increase his margins
0:28:21 > 0:28:25that might allow him to have his family stay in the city, too.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36He wants to rent a space like this
0:28:36 > 0:28:39to stockpile cups when they¹re easy to make in the dry season,
0:28:39 > 0:28:43and sell them at the top of the market when drying is hampered by the monsoon.
0:29:22 > 0:29:26Right now, Sujit is missing his family more than ever.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10Teacups are not the only use for Ganges mud in this part of town.
0:30:10 > 0:30:15It¹s in huge demand for the upcoming Durga Puja festival
0:30:15 > 0:30:17and is being shipped in by the boat load.
0:30:25 > 0:30:30Hundreds of artists apply the sticky river mud over a wood and straw structure
0:30:30 > 0:30:35to create vibrant idols of Goddess Durga and her exotic entourage.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51Swapan, the fish merchant, and his daughter are here to collect the idol
0:30:51 > 0:30:54commissioned for their neighbourhood pandal.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17Back at the pandal itself,
0:31:17 > 0:31:20the cave-like structure has been progressing fast.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30Swapan¹s keeping a close eye on his fish pond.
0:31:59 > 0:32:03With the opening in just two days, Swapan¹s given the go ahead
0:32:03 > 0:32:06to source his fish for the pandal.
0:32:11 > 0:32:17After a full night¹s work at his market, Swapan sets off to make his purchase.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29He goes to the market that sells the wetlands fish,
0:32:29 > 0:32:32farmed in the city¹s waste water.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09Playing the customer is a new experience for Swapan.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31A last-minute splash of colour with some goldfish,
0:33:31 > 0:33:33and the morning's haul is sped back to the pandal.
0:33:52 > 0:33:54GIRL SCREAMS
0:33:54 > 0:33:56LAUGHTER
0:34:08 > 0:34:12Swapan realises he¹s fighting a losing battle.
0:34:14 > 0:34:18But he¹s not one to let a business opportunity go to waste.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46Cheers!
0:34:47 > 0:34:52The stress hasn¹t taken long to find Swapan¹s big weakness.
0:35:39 > 0:35:40Aaaah!
0:35:49 > 0:35:55In Mumbai, Prakash has just received a call from one of the agencies he sent his portfolio to.
0:35:55 > 0:36:00They want him to come in and audition for a part in a TV soap opera.
0:36:06 > 0:36:07Thanks!
0:36:08 > 0:36:11It¹s the break Prakash has been waiting so long for.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14Mangesh comes along for support.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10Prakash!
0:37:43 > 0:37:45- Ready?- OK.
0:37:45 > 0:37:46Action!
0:39:17 > 0:39:18Oh, God!
0:39:44 > 0:39:46Cut!
0:39:47 > 0:39:48Thank you so much.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54Thank you. Thank you very much.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10In Kolkata, the energy levels are mounting
0:40:10 > 0:40:15for the great, four-day Durga Puja festival starting tomorrow.
0:40:17 > 0:40:22Gondal and his friends on the riverbank have spotted a new opportunity.
0:40:22 > 0:40:27Everyone across the city will need Ganges mud to place in front of their Mother Durga idols.
0:40:27 > 0:40:31It¹s a heaven-sent opportunity to cash in.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37Gondal and two friends spend the night shaping his mud pile
0:41:37 > 0:41:40into conveniently sized balls.
0:41:51 > 0:41:56At sunrise, representatives from every pandal pour down to the river
0:41:56 > 0:42:01and celebrate the start of the festival with a dip in the Ganges.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04But with so many holy mud-ball sellers here,
0:42:04 > 0:42:09it¹s a buyers' market and Gondal¹s struggling to shift his balls.
0:42:27 > 0:42:31Tough market conditions demand bigger balls.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38Gondal¹s strategy soon pays off.
0:43:04 > 0:43:09With 600 rupees fresh in his pocket, it¹s a bumper day.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12There¹s not a moment to lose.
0:44:12 > 0:44:15The festival is in full swing
0:44:15 > 0:44:17and the city¹s out for a good time.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34Sujit¹s joining the crowds visiting the 2,000 or more pandals
0:44:34 > 0:44:37across Kolkata.
0:44:39 > 0:44:41On top of the 15 million-odd residents,
0:44:41 > 0:44:46thousands of visitors have poured into the city for the celebrations.
0:45:08 > 0:45:12At Swapan¹s, the pandal¹s being finished in the nick of time.
0:45:12 > 0:45:14And with the pond filled with water,
0:45:14 > 0:45:18he can at last deliver a fresh load of fish.
0:45:36 > 0:45:40There¹s just time for Swapan and the family to put on the new clothes
0:45:40 > 0:45:42they¹ve bought for the occasion.
0:46:12 > 0:46:16First, they pay their respects at their pandal.
0:46:24 > 0:46:28Mother Durga, personifying the triumph of good over evil,
0:46:28 > 0:46:32is reborn out of the Ganges mud for the duration of the festival.
0:46:32 > 0:46:38Showing her our devotion is important for securing future success and prosperity.
0:46:45 > 0:46:47Then it¹s time to party!
0:47:17 > 0:47:20Swapan¹s daughters aren¹t the only thrill seekers.
0:48:08 > 0:48:13Swapan decides to take the family to pay their respects to the holy Ganges.
0:48:13 > 0:48:18But to get there, they pass through a different kind of ceremony.
0:48:28 > 0:48:31Even as the city celebrates, some of its charges
0:48:31 > 0:48:34have come to the end of their stay.
0:48:34 > 0:48:39They¹re closing their own circle and returning to Mother Ganga.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38Next morning,
0:49:38 > 0:49:40Sujit¹s up early again.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43With so many extra tea drinkers in the city for the festival,
0:49:43 > 0:49:47he¹s busier than ever and has had a run of record sales.
0:50:01 > 0:50:06He¹s decided to send for his wife, two-year-old daughter and new baby.
0:50:06 > 0:50:11They have boarded a train to the city and are due to arrive any moment.
0:51:32 > 0:51:35For the first time in over eight months,
0:51:35 > 0:51:38Sujit sees his wife, Shila,
0:51:38 > 0:51:41and meets baby Kajal at last.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46Flush with his festival bonus,
0:52:46 > 0:52:49Sujit¹s managed to put down a deposit on a room close to his work.
0:53:21 > 0:53:25But to pay the rent, the room must earn its keep.
0:54:04 > 0:54:07DRUMS BEAT, HORNS BLARE
0:54:13 > 0:54:16The festival¹s at an end.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18FRENZIED SHOUTING
0:54:29 > 0:54:31The idols must be taken out of their pandals,
0:54:31 > 0:54:35and transported back towards the river where they came from.
0:54:37 > 0:54:41WOMAN ULULATES
0:54:55 > 0:54:58DRUMS BEAT
0:54:59 > 0:55:03We may be sad to see Mother Durga go,
0:55:03 > 0:55:06but we make sure we send her off in style.
0:55:08 > 0:55:10It¹s carnival time!
0:55:10 > 0:55:11Hey-hey!
0:55:11 > 0:55:12Hey-hey!
0:55:13 > 0:55:14Hey-hey!
0:56:19 > 0:56:22The festivities may have been extravagant,
0:56:22 > 0:56:25but the leftovers won¹t go to waste.
0:56:25 > 0:56:31Next morning, Gondal and his friends are watching the river more intently than ever.
0:57:29 > 0:57:33Once the idols have been stripped of mud and straw,
0:57:33 > 0:57:36Gondal will sell the wooden frames
0:57:36 > 0:57:38back to their makers.
0:58:00 > 0:58:05And as for Prakash? He didn¹t land the part in the soap.
0:58:06 > 0:58:10But the casting agency HAVE put him on their books.
0:58:10 > 0:58:13He¹s spending every spare moment with his dance class.
0:58:14 > 0:58:16He's honing his moves,
0:58:16 > 0:58:19ready for his next big break.
0:58:19 > 0:58:21# Watcha gonna do
0:58:21 > 0:58:22# Ha-ha! With the party? Yeah!
0:58:22 > 0:58:24# Ha-ha! With the party? Yeah!
0:58:24 > 0:58:26# Ha-ha! With the party? Yeah!
0:58:26 > 0:58:28# Ha-ha! With the party? Yeah!
0:58:50 > 0:58:53Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd