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President Pranab Mukherjee will on August 2 watch a special screening of a documentary capturing the story of the Rashtrapati Bhavan from its conception to its completion and the changes it has undergone during his tenure.
The documentary, produced for Discovery channel by AIM Television, is scheduled to be telecast in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Bangla on Independence Day. This would be the first time a documentary on the presidential palace is being shown on an international television channel.
Rashtrapati Bhavan was the heart of the British plan for a new imperial capital. It epitomises the history of India from British imperialism and the succession of rulers to the splendour of Indian architecture and craftsmanship. This is where the most influential and critical political strategies and decisions are executed.
The 45-minute documentary narrated by noted actor Roshan Seth charts out the story of this building on two parallels. One story follows the shift of capital and the efforts of Edwin Landseer Lutyens as the architect of this house while the other takes viewers through the sprawling palace and its magnificent rooms.
Every element in the Rashtrapati Bhavan has evolved in the eight decades over which the building has seen a transition from imperial occupation to being the home of the head of the largest democracy.