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Hyderabad - Cochin

A whistle-stop tour of Southern India by plane documenting life from Hyderabad, Mysore and down to the coastal town of Cochin.

Amateur film 1945 15 mins Silent

Overview

This film records a trip across the breadth of South-West India. Along the way a curious collection of events unfold; from the everyday rhythms and flows of the thriving city life of Hyderabad, the decadent birthday celebrations for the Maharajah of Mysore (now Mysuru) as well as the activities in Cochin harbour from fishing to a regatta.

This amateur footage is one of the numerous films taken from Clarmont Skrine’s personal collection. Skrine was a British civil servant and administrator who served in a number of colonial administrative and political roles across India and the Middle-East during his long career. Travelling across the country, Skrine was perfectly positioned to witness the final years of the British Raj, The British Crown in India from 1858-1947, which are stunningly captured in this home film.