Olivia Colman Gets Emotional Learning About Indian Ancestors | Who Do You Think You Are

Olivia Colman discovers how her Indian ancestors fell in love, returned to India and had four children. Where will Olivia's journey take her next?
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[@user-xk2st7fd1f]

This professor is the nicest of the historians , her smile and genuine joy over Harriet is quite apparent!!

[@dragonniz]

True. I can almost imagine her excitement, having the opportunity to see history jumping out of the old texts, bits and pieces coming together, and ultimately appear before her very eyes as Olivia - a real life breathing human being. Things have come full circle.

[@swarnarekha6110]

She is a nice person in real life too i had been her direct student for five years

[@mwenvlay]

@@swarnarekha6110 lucky!

[@fatimacabral1777]

Anna R she’s beautiful 😊

[@revolrtol]

She kinda remind me of an auntie who was just telling her niece abt her parents/family

[@lastudentessa]

I was thinking this sounds like something in a Jane Austen novel just as the lady said it. Lol! Who said men aren't romantic?!

[@sadiaadil6423]

I knwwww.i was grinin from ear to ear 🤭🙈

[@dandygirl6]

not these days bloody hell

[@maggiepie765]

YASSS - esp “I am not indifferent to you…” if this isn’t PEAK JANE AUSTEN IDK what is… 🥰

[@dragonmaid1360]

What's so lovely about this is the story obviously, but the delight on that Indian ladies face as she reveals these things to Olivia is gorgeous. Two strangers coming together over a story. How lovely of the Indian lady to find out all those things for Olivia and to take such delight in the reveal. God bless her.

[@finnpeters7867]

Dragon maid I teared up 😂

[@swarnarekha6110]

She is history professor of Calcutta University

[@crazydiamond4565]

Dragon maid What I find sad about this is that 200 years from now there will be no written love story like this. Olivia is like a child discovering her past. So lovely!

[@remarkableshailesh]

Lol .. she must have been paid to do it

[@Ladeliciadelinda]

They are just so cute together as they read the letter. So much excitement. I would be too. It really is like out of a Jane Austen novel

[@MrNikolidas]

This is how our 3x great grandchildren will look back on our lives - facebook posts and text messages. It makes you want to leave a better impression, to be honest.

[@WhirlyPearly]

Jonathan Charles well put.👌🏻

[@captainstark5496]

Haha XD they will see all the thirst tweets

[@lisaellis9749]

True.

[@gamerzpower926]

They will disappointed, not gonna lie. I ain't got any elephant bro.

[@akari1605]

Captain stark thanks for reminding me to delete them.

[@leovids9353]

I can't even find my school certificates when I need tgem. This is amazing seeing them produce letters and documents from 200 years ago🤪

[@shireenpadhye8450]

This comment is lit😂

[@nilanjanataraphder2178]

😂😂😂

[@Ainennke]

That letter to the brother was the most interesting artefact I've ever seen on one of these episodes. What an incredible insight to have into the lives of one's ancestors.

[@singtweetypie]

I absolutely loved Olivia's description of Harriet's hand holding her grandsons' - and Olivia's mother's hand holding her grandfather's - and by that touch - they have all connected. Just beautiful imagery.

[@LanceCorporalKitty]

Agreed, that was such a beautiful visual and really brings it home how close we are to our ancestors

[@Liz-sc5dg]

My thoughts exactly. Such a beautiful image! That I feel in my heart towards my ancestors going back over the years. So lovely!

[@kooolkidninjamaster]

For sure..made me tear about my own family

[@shermz8888]

I would like to be as happy at the Indian lady. Gorgeous smile.

[@globalcitizenn]

Sherman Dsouza in India it is a polite thing to smile. It is rude not to.

[@polyannamoonbeam]

the letters.....!:) a lost art. Olivia Coleman narrates them so beautifully.

[@SR-us5gr]

and from the heart! True love and nothing more!

[@marinazagrai1623]

polyann...I know how it sounds, bu today's younger generation don't even know proper English! Theywill have a shock when the job they might want requires them to speak and maybe write.

[@siddharthnaagar7028]

As an Indian who loves Olivia Colman this was a jackpot

[@nishidgaikwad1412]

Couldn't agree more 🤷🏻‍♂️💯

[@arpanmalakar11]

Want to be a British servant again?

[@beminae1603]

@Unknown Sender that’s so unnecessary 😐

[@punithdk3045]

@@arpanmalakar11 Liking a British actor of a modern day doesn't make you their servant and They love Indian Actors which doesnt make them our servant, Sun has set on the Empire and will never rise.

[@Protagonist_irl]

Yes❤

[@SaoirseK]

"I am not indifferent to you" even that made me blush. ☺

[@immers2410]

I’m going to use that line on tinder

[@ashleydavall]

The history professor seems like a really charming fun lady who clearly loves her subject.

[@Felidae-ts9wp]

What a lovely love story..they sure knew how to court in those days.

[@henryfung9725]

i thought the whole thing was sick. poor harriet for being a product of some crap

[@rakabarua6696]

+Henry Fung Why do you go on every page to spew negativity?...I have noticed you before.

[@rojaiqbal5403]

😂 😂 I

[@sarahjones4955]

omg that letter though!!! 😭❤️❤️ soo cute and lovely , i really wish people talked/wrote liked this

[@sadiaadil6423]

Ikr? Not swipe right/left 🙄 this is silly,but old world romance needs to come back 😑😅

[@littlewoodimp]

Thank goodness for the Great Aunt who settled that money on her, what would have been regarded 'a decent fortune' and made her a 'good prospect' for 'young men of good name but little money'! As they would have said back in the day. What a life Harriet had. Olivia is so lovely, warm and genuine.

[@sjc4]

The most telling bit is when she gets on the boat and offers help to her guide... what a gem.

[@KLI22]

Wouldn't most?

[@kluger2222]

she is so genuine.

[@budle89]

@@KLI22 most would. I'm not a decent person and I know it's just normal to help elderly/child in such situation.

[@soul_asmr]

OH my god I need to watch this as a movie??? The Jane Austen comparison was SPOT on ahhhhhhh I love this

[@marabarbra4881]

Olivia and the researcher lady are such gems.

[@foxycinnamon7307]

I love both these ladies - and that sari is gorgeous!

[@FCntertainr]

India Harriet is so beautiful! This account is so inspiring to think as adventurous , real family heritage . The people have done indepth research and painstakingly helped this wonderful lady find her mother's lineage back and forth from UK to Hindustan and back to Scotland! Wow . finding that picture was a miracle and seeing ancestors back to the 17th century. Love these videos.

[@sahelimazumder1586]

“ oh she is having a babby” I love this woman ♥️

[@Daleylife]

Oh lord. What's going to happen 200 years from now? "This is how you and your grandmother met... Chad: Netflix and Chill? Jessica: You know it. Riverdale season 4 just came out!

[@A_T__]

“I am not indifferent to you” We should be talking like this now, its so romantic!

[@globalcitizenn]

Indian people are gorgeous, warm and intelligent

[@lizclegg7556]

Are you Indian?

[@thehound7263]

oh no another globalist puppet.

[@pix_d20]

@@thehound7263 what's wrong with globalism

[@samanthabloggins1775]

Not all of them, my father-in-law wasnt! Gave me no end of grief and didnt want me to marry his son!

[@pooja350]

@@samanthabloggins1775 this is unfortunately common, I'm afraid. Even in my family, my grandad downright refused to acknowledge my aunt's Scottish husband for years. He was from a different time. Hatred for colonialism still runs deep for some. Hope you're doing okay love

[@madiantin]

Oh my goodness, how cute is that letter? Someone needs to write a novel about "India Harriet" and her family. I agree with @garypeter casella, the name "India Harriet" may in fact have been a racist nickname. The fact that Harriet was accepted at all, and brought to England to be educated, would have been seen as remarkable tolerant and progressive at the time.

[@AmitSinghco]

Yes racism was there but Maybe in this case it was just to identify her. It was common that British used to name their daughter India because country India is referred as Mother India. And some still use to name their daughter by this name in England.

[@silverback3633]

It is true. Either Diana's ancestor's story or most Anglo-Indian stories speak volumes. Having relationships with the locals was taboo and creates problems for their careers in colonial India. In Diana's story, the child was taken back to England, and her communication with her mother was cut off.

[@miss42310]

Exactly what i was thinking.. they weren't a tolerant society.. very few of them looked at Indians as people

[@MaryAKottackal]

@@silverback3633 It happened with Harriet too. She was cut off from her mother completely . As a mother to a little one, this makes my heart incredibly sad.

[@aishaali6806]

Calcutta is where my late dadaji comes from and called bengalis. Heritage is nice when we know part of who we are. My dad was born in Singapore when late dadaji married a Singapore woman. It's nice being a mixed culture heritage as I have a unique family name. Shaikh

[@dikshapoman4482]

I had goosebumps when professor said do you want to see her photograph.😭🥺

[@taram9409]

Me too. I teared up a little bit!

[@AndrewKendall71]

I remember Olivia saying of co-star David Tennant, "You just love him." Well, that can be said of her and this makes it all the more so. So lovely. You just love her. What a story.

[@ailsadixon281]

Olivia Coleman is such a joy! Also I think it's wonderful that Charles and Harriet called their first son Richard after his uncle. It's clear from the letters that the brothers were so close, wonderful.

[@otherwisemaladroit]

You can write a book with all that happened to Harriot...even better a telenovela!

[@wintersoldier2006]

How do they find all these documents? This is fascinating!

[@perrywilliams4593]

wintersoldier2006 same!

[@swarnarekha6110]

She is a history professor of Calcutta University

[@samanthabloggins1775]

Thats what i would like to know! Trying to do my husbands genealogy is almost impossible, his father was an Indian born in India

[@nc-pf3qm]

@@samanthabloggins1775 find state,distt,village may b..older ppl will remember if it was a small place..old census records can help..

[@samanthabloggins1775]

@@nc-pf3qm thats easy to do here in North America and some European countries. But i have tried the same for India to no avail. Im 66 and have been doing my families history since i was in Gr 7. Its my husbands i am having trouble with.

[@lpeterson2336]

oh that letter is a beautiful record of love blooming.

[@estherfuerster-ashkenazi3258]

I am a forensic genealogist and I deal with this kind of cases all the time - but! This is so emotional! I have goosebumps all over!

[@arunimabhattacharjee4614]

Wow 😮

[@jessielynch7493]

Is it me but does Olivia look a lot like India Harriet?

[@aritra_hazra]

Strange but I also had same thought. Well in Hinduism we believe in reincarnation.

[@agnosticatheist4093]

Me too

[@junii741]

God dammit who's cutting these onions again?

[@WhirlyPearly]

juntun741 🔪 I know!

[@fatsmims3099]

Olivia Colman is an absolute gem

[@kitsonk717]

Oh, I really like Olivia Colman. The Favorite movie was my 1st time seeing her. I really like her spirit.

[@ganderson5104]

How wonderful to have this letter written by your great-great-great grandfather!!

[@SeanRCope]

How odd it is to imagine Charles and Harriet knowing their famous Great x3 grand daughter is gushing over their correspondences with family back home.

[@gumnaamaadmi007]

What westerners especially brits fail to take away from this video and videos like these is that Indians are a very forgiving people. I'd doubt that any other people would greet someone so warmly and be this hospitable if they knew that brits were responsible for 50 million deaths in famine after famine that they imposed upon their natives. Being this forgiving has been India's undoing, frankly.

[@kitchenmom]

oh this made me cry. These two together are just so adorable.

[@elsagreen1476]

Me *watching this at work and crying*: ...allergies

[@happyexpat3744]

I find Olivia's enthusiasm for "India Harriet", the nickname given to her by her grandmother, a bit naive. I imagine when Olivia stated hat this made her "extra special", the genealogist was thinking, "no, this was not used as a nickname to make her special, but to point out that she was different...not really one if us though one of us", but the genealogist held back, or her reaction/explanation of the nickname truly distancing her granddaughter from the rest of the family, was edited out because it was racist, in reality. Ok, had Harriet been born more Anglo-Saxon, then it might have been overlooked, but as we could see, she had many Sub-Indian traits such as the hair and eyes and skin color being darker. I believe that the genealogist did explain this, but it was edited out, and that I would have to imagine left Olivia a bit taken aback. Today, in an educated and rational household, being "half-caste" would make no difference at all...but 200 years ago, a huge difference would be noted. Imagine, today, calling someone "Indian Brittany"......I, for one, would be somewhat offended. However, it was the norm, I suppose, then, and in reality, that the family of Harriet accepted her at all, is a plus for Harriet, obviously, but also says something about her family in their acceptance of her, nickname or not. I think Olivia was only seeing the bright side. Which is OK. I know looking back on my Italian ancestry, the problems my grandparents had 2 being from the north and 2 from the south and the intermarriages. They were not looked at fondly and that was about 100 years ago and they all met in NY, not in Italy, where I do not believe it would have been even possible. Good for Harriet, though. She was lucky!

[@henryfung9725]

english people don't like to admit their racism to indians

[@blck4jck]

So eloquently said!

[@4N63L1C4]

They did call Harriot India but I don’t think it was malicious, especially when she was left a lot money in her great aunt and her grandmothers Will. Back then if they hated the fact she was half Indian they would have hidden it or just completely ignored her existence, but they didn’t. Not to mention Harriot’s grandmother was well traveled and lived most of her life in Portugal (as seen in the other video where Olivia finds out more about her)

[@henryfung9725]

@@4N63L1C4 no sweetheart, racism was part of the culture back then. indian harriet was the distingusih her from the family,. and to remind her of her difference. some whites thought they were making the mixed people's lives better by letting them into white families. NOTICE they was ZERO mention of her indian mother. she was probably pushed out of the story, i find it amazing how still this day people deny how out and out racist english were to all indians. NO ONE was safe. just like africans

[@henryfung9725]

@Stephen Murphy irish people still mixed with english, and beniffited from being white. indians were banned from interracial dating due to their RACE. coloured people around the world were treated differently to whites

[@yashnema84]

After olivia ' s oscar win 😅

[@dr.doofenshmirtz124]

That letter was everything! And they say romance is only in the movies.

[@jayatidave2864]

It's so wholesome ❤️ seeing Olivia Coleman and Mrs. Chakroborty gushing over that letter

[@hdpmrr]

[9:18] "...which means we've all touched each other's hands..."

[@korakendalls7519]

The more I watch her, the more I love Olivia Coleman!!!! She is just the sweetest person.

[@alohaXamanda]

I am so emotionally invested in this story

[@mayaout7808]

Indian lady looks so much like my mom..

[@sarahvisker7613]

Olivia, make this into a movie!!

[@TheTrwebster]

Loved the comment "sounding like Jane Austen"; one of my favourite Austen bits is the letter at teh end of Persuasion: "you pierce my soul, I am half agony, half hope..." Marvelous

[@sahpem4425]

What a lovely way to end India Harriet’s story. I’m so glad she found happiness!

[@starynightskyz]

Holly Heck, it has just become amazingly apparent to me, how upsetting it is that we have lost the mad skill of letter writing :((

[@kaleahcollins4567]

I always wish this show and the American Finding Your Roots would do regular people celebrities if they want to find and Trace their Heritage they have enough money to do so regular people we don't and the ones who really want to trace a Heritage we struggle to get bits and pieces I want to be able to do what she did I want to look at my ancestors pictures I want to touch their archives I want to walk the streets they walked in The Villages they lived in

[@soapgirlsrule]

I think Olivia going to India to find out more about her ancestors is important because you really had to have been there to understand what Harriott left England to go back to. India was her home.

[@andreamessiasgomes7118]

Was Harriet a British Indian ? How is her name Harriet or was it changed to that.

[@MaryAKottackal]

@@andreamessiasgomes7118 Her Father was British , Serving the East India Company. Her mother was a local Indian lady but we do not have any details about her.

[@ruthwickline1000]

I just stumbled upon this and the 2 previous parts... I love Olivia’s work as an actor! She’s one of my favorites!

[@scouser2010ify]

He was a great writer I could see what he was saying in the letter in my head

[@msiddiqui135]

Important lesson is that we all are mixed breed and multicultural

[@pranphu5248]

Olivia is the most delightful person and her reaction

[@suetaitporcaro2481]

that photo did it for me! :)

[@LiveDelightwithPallavi]

Wow can't believe she came to my state Calcutta..now known as Kolkata❤

[@thehoneyeffect]

Harriet and Olivia have similar deep set big eyes

[@ArunaKhudan]

Love story so sweet, I wish I could see where my ancesters came from

[@damemarthafalker6738]

Just have a true thespian with strong acting prowess read a story and the words jump off the page into a reality manifestation. Olivia Colman is simply lovely.

[@Thornus_______]

Who would've thought a actress with Indian ancestry would not only play Queen Victoria but also Queen Elizabeth on screen

[@nemir6872]

Yeh, now people are reading their ancestors letters. A few hundred years from now people will read their ancestors tweets and emails. That's gonna be fun, lol

[@snickerbars4129]

Thats a very polite and British way of saying... She was not pale enough to be English......but not Brown enough to be called Indian..... So extra special......yes indeed.......!

[@BatraSahb]

@Li saaa I'm so called 'higher caste' and I'm not particularly fair but my brother is. So thats just a stereotype relating skin colour with the caste.

[@Rajeshb1965]

Variations exists in UK and India as far as colour goes. It was 100 years back, bygone is bygone for good, European actors were not so successful in Indian movies for their fair colour and light eyes, they struggle even today. Exception was hunterwali an out standing actress was ahead of time even by today's standards.

[@mnm2156]

Amazing how much Olivia resembles Harriet. 😍 I think she has similar eyes and nose shape, outline? And, i love how Olivia got emotionally invested in the whole journey. Or is it 'cause she cries easily? 😂 But, either way, i think Olivia's a fun person to be with hehehe

[@susanpratt4061]

I love love love his letter to his brother!! So sweet.❤️

[@joseaod15]

Omg I loved Dr. Chakraborty!

[@galleryg998]

Isn’t this just such a lovely reminder that history is more multicultural than we thought. This woman could clearly be identified as mixed still lived a life much like many of her peers at the time. Of course there would have been differences in how she was treated, maybe she was scorned, maybe she was treated as an exotic thing, who knows - but we can see that in the middle of Victorian London she still found love, happiness, and a stable life.

[@domyloppi7437]

dont call yourself exotic

[@stephenconway2468]

Olivia is great. Her face just lights up. She is brilliant in it's literally sense.

[@asantewa3]

As everyone here has said, I do believe, India Harriet's story is one for the telling. I hope that somewhere someone can make that happen.

[@s.g.6350]

It must be lovely to find find out who your ancestors were. Olivia looks so joyful. :D I hope I can someday learn more information about my ancestors, because I barely know anything about them.

[@chrisbassett8996]

oh I will have to get my family tree out again

[@udayrathod3786]

Lol

[@metroplexchl]

MY GOSH....this has been an absolute page turner!!!!!

[@anandhindu2804]

Harriot is a real beauty............. wow!!!

[@ayushaish1478]

This should be a movie😭❤️❤️ I know I will hunt it down and binge watch it❤️

[@somusonuroy]

How these records are kept for so long... Amazing!!

[@namrataagarwal3733]

Clicked for Olivia stayed for Harriot.. what a roller coaster of a story!!

[@abominusrex3205]

Amazed at how detailed these documents were....My great grandfather committed a crime in India (some petty drunken assault on guy) in the 1910s..I found no record of it here in India, but surprised on finding a chargesheet in England

[@TheVampireLily]

Olivia is such a sweetheart. Love her!

[@Rajeshb1965]

Gripping history depicting struggle of women.

[@eleanor8002]

Olivia Coleman was wonderful to listen to and a joy to watch as she discovered her ancestry

[@Santu7220]

Slesar translates as locksmith in contemporary Russian, Schlosser is a common family name in Germany, meaning locksmith as well, being pronounced in a similar fashion: shlosser like -er in " brother".

[@nomdeplume2213]

When she said photograph 😳😱😱😱😱 im so invested i almost fell out of bed. Omg shes gorgeous!!! I never see pics of ppl from then and find them beautiful but she is absolutely stunning!! Mixed race humans are the most gorgeous creatures on earth lol theyre always beautiful. Awww i love this so much

[@glennvannijevelt1133]

This is so very lovely!

[@VideoNOLA]

Researcher: "They called her 'India Harriet'." Olivia: "Oh, so she was extra special." Researcher: "So she'd know she was different." Olivia: "Isn't that special! How nice for her." Researcher: "Do you understand the caste system at all?"

[@madyjules]

This is so incredibly lovely!!

[@SanjayFGeorge]

The photo of Harriet the younger @3:47 looks strikingly similar to Olivia Colman

[@satyapriyanath2061]

this is probably the most interesting, emotional piece of historical documentary I have probably seen... And, moreover belonging to Bengal I feel a special connection to the story, maybe that's why the youtube algorithm suggested it to me...

[@georgiesmith106]

I love the two women reading the love letter, so charming.

[@annefrankgacha1942]

3:34 Honestly, same Olivia, SAME!!

[@susmita5548]

❤❤❤❤yesss sameee

[@karenmombourquette4434]

Olivia's interactions with all the historians was the best part.

[@HRHDMKYT]

I'm so glad I watched all the videos up to this one. That letter! Charles tells his brother what was in his heart! SO romantic. Lucky Olivia to discover this gem from her ancestor. :-)

[@evayaaasantewaa448]

Just stumbled upon this. One of my favorite actresses, and this is so beautiful.

[@princesinghbassi6228]

6:39 Now Karnal (Karnaul) is in Haryiana

[@patriciajrs46]

I do like the scenery in India. I think their architechts were very talented, and very forward thinking. Those old letters are so wonderful to hear, how the people expressed their passion. This is so great.