After exploring the cultural treasures of Venice, Florence and Rome in their BAFTA-winning Grand Tour of Italy last year, Rob Rinder and Rylan Clark jumped at the chance of embarking on another odyssey for BBC2.
Rob and Rylan’s Passage to India, inspired by EM Forster’s 1924 novel, begins in Delhi, where the bustling capital’s diverse and vibrant art scene soon leads them towards a whole world of different experiences.
Speaking about his new show, Rylan told us: "Grand Tour was about following in the footsteps of [Romantic poet] Lord Byron – Rob’s a big fan of Byron’s work, so we wanted to keep that theme going and another of his literary heroes is EM Forster, so A Passage to India just made sense. I’ve still not read the book – and until about halfway through Delhi, I thought his name was ‘Ian’, not ‘EM’!"
Here's everything you need to know about Rob and Rylan’s Passage to India...
Rob and Rylan’s Passage to India release date
Rob and Rylan’s Passage to India starts on BBC Two on Sunday, September 14. The three-part series will then air weekly at the same time.
All three episodes also land on iPlayer as a box set on Sunday, September 14.
Rob and Rylan’s Passage to India episode guide
Episode 1 - Sunday September, 14
Rob and Rylan follow in the footsteps of Rob's favourite novelist, E M Forster, and set out on a journey around India to discover the art, culture and ancient wisdom of the country with the hope it will help them lead better lives. They begin in the capital city of Delhi, where they immerse themselves in the chaotic street market of Chandni Chowk and visit the Humayun's Tomb, the architectural masterpiece that inspired the Taj Mahal.
Episode 2 - Sunday, September 21
Rob Rinder and Rylan Clark board a packed train to Rajasthan during Diwali, the vibrant festival of lights. They discover that its cities of Udaipur and Jaipur are home to generations of skilled craftspeople making everything from ornate block prints to traditional jewellery. The pair try miniature painting, hear a worrying prediction from an astrologer and celebrate Diwali with the crown prince of Jaipur
Epsiode 3 - Sunday, September 28
The final stop in their tour sees the duo confronting their own mortality in India’s holiest city, where they also discover an erotic temple and try to experience spiritual growth via mud-wrestling.
Is there a trailer for Rob and Rylan’s Passage to India?
Yes, the trailer sees the pair heading to some of India's most beautiful locations... while also encountering camels on the road and trying on some dazzling jewels for size.
You can watch below...
Rob and Rylan’s Passage to India interview
Firstly, congratulations on Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour winning the Factual Entertainment trophy at this year’s BAFTA TV Awards! Were you surprised that the show struck such a chord?
ROB "We really were!"
RYLAN "When I saw the first cut of the series, I said, ‘We’re either going to get cancelled or win a BAFTA.’ I could see the papers going, ‘BBC stars on a jolly, getting drunk in a gay bar.’ But that’s not who we are. There was a story to it all; we were both a bit damaged, we knew each other but not that well, and all of a sudden we were in Florence experiencing these amazing things. Even now, it makes me emotional that people connected to it."
Did you have any preconceptions about India ahead of the trip?
RYLAN "Everyone I talked to said, ‘It’s going to be hot and you’re going to get Delhi belly [an upset stomach].’ I was thinking, ‘It sounds like my worst nightmare!’ Then I got off the plane and after about four hours of sleep, I got chucked in a tuk-tuk in what I can only describe as a replay of Wacky Races – Rob got so annoyed with me, we had a row…"
ROB "There was a moment where I said, ‘Sometimes, I feel like the benevolent headmistress of a school for excitable children.’"
RYLAN "But I dove into it all head first, and you can see the difference in me between day one and day four."
Rylan, you also celebrated your birthday in Delhi. Was it a day to remember forever?
RYLAN "It was really nice, and [Indian politician and LGBTQ+ rights activist] Anish Gawande threw me a party – one of his friends turned out to be the only Rylan superfan in the whole of India! Afterwards, Rob and I went back to a club in our hotel called Kitty Su, but the music was like elevator music, so I got up and DJ’d for about two hours and packed the place out!"
Later in the series, you visit a famous astrologer. But things don’t quite go to plan, do they?
ROB "Sometimes, when something is funny in real life, you think it can’t possibly be as good when you watch it back, but, if anything, this was even funnier."
RYLAN "We were asked to call our mums so we could give him our exact times and dates of birth – and the stuff he came out with! His reading said that I was psychotic – I was so annoyed. I spoke to my mum later and she said, ‘I got your time of birth wrong; I gave your brother’s.’ So, it was all rubbish anyway!"
If a third series gets the green light, where would you like to visit?
RYLAN "There are some places we’ve discussed. If we get to do another, we want to keep it pegged to literature and art; it needs to be somewhere there’s a story for us to follow."
ROB "Yes, the source material is really important."
Maybe you could follow one of Rylan’s literary heroes next time?
ROB "Oh, do me a favour!"
RYLAN "What would mine be – Elmer the Patchwork Elephant [the children’s picture-book series by British author David McKee]? I’ve only ever read my own books – you’d just come round my house for three episodes."
ROB "We’d end up in Marbella!"
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