Olivia Colman Traces Her Indian Heritage | Who Do You Think You Are

[@jeanjacquesjell5431]

"British involvement in India" such a tender way of explaining East Indian Company lol

[@shay2493]

RIGHT💀 JUST SAY THEY ARE COLONIZERS DAMN

[@utubetruthteller]

It's called whitewashing after all

[@Robotnik]

Everyone overruns eachother , and some without leading to betterings. British, relative to their time there and Befolking there , was a gain for what is India ! Liken that to the Mughal Rike, and this Post-Modernist Mindset begins to look dumb.

[@tbrowniscool]

We ruled, literally@@shay2493

[@horacio-ho3bf]

​@@shay2493and now an ancestor of colonization is prime minister of the UK

[@littlebunnyblew]

Ms Anuradha Chatterjee was my History Professor almost 20 years ago. Wow!

[@snake6706]

so cool

[@paulvarjak7279]

omg lucky you

[@harvestcanada]

Great stuff in'nit

[@AndySaenz]

littlebunnyblew It’s a small world!

[@dshepherd107]

littlebunnyblew Oh wow, that’s a cool bit of info!

[@gsanks]

Whoever does the research and uncovers these documents and manuscripts from 200 years ago really deserves an award. It must be incredibly challenging considering how bad we are with maintaining records.

[@NorahAB13]

I found my roots from 1550 and still digging, it's crazy and fantastic

[@kashutosh9132]

@@NorahAB13 How?

[@luanafarina3626]

And with some horrible handwritings. 😅

[@LordIstar]

Not all communities are bad at maintaining records.

[@carlotta4th]

It depends on the city and country--some countries were EXTREMELY meticulous with records (like germany) and others either didn't keep any at all or burned old ones to make room in storerooms. You just have to work with what you've got.

[@abhishetty2637]

now shes played the queen of England, quite surreal for someone with Indian heritage

[@edshireeeeeeen1597]

Diana had a great great great grandmother that was Indian, too.

[@anantambisht4895]

They all were colonizers

[@anantambisht4895]

@@edshireeeeeeen1597 ofc they all were colonizers who came to I dia to colonize in 1747

[@edshireeeeeeen1597]

@@anantambisht4895 So? I am not British. Don’t take it out on me. Chill. Also, Diana’s family weren’t “colonisers”. Just putting it out there

[@anantambisht4895]

@@edshireeeeeeen1597 when did i say you were british. They were colonizers. princess diana lol . She is from the royal family

[@randyneil6161]

I am Indian my family left India in 1845 and went to Trinidad and Tobago. I sure wish someday I could find my family in India.

[@biplabkumarnayak8499]

Hello brother!! Lots of love from India 🇮🇳.

[@sanjayvaidya4925]

Indentures labour?

[@RomaDass]

You and 1000s of us

[@sagittario5543]

If you know the names of your ancestors until around 1845, and your ancestral surname, you can find all of your relatives and previous ancestors by going to Haridwar (a city) or the place where your people used to immerse ashes after death of a person. In those cities, ancient geneological records are well-kept to this date.

[@alex-fs9yt]

I'm Indian too, my ancestors were brought to South Africa in 1860s by the British as indentured labour to work on sugarcane plantations.

[@benh9784]

"I'm so much more interesting than I thought I was!" -Olivia, giddy, whilst learning about her Indian heritage. This is the joy of genealogy. The richness and depth of our past has such power to inform and enrich our present selves. It's realizations like this that open our eyes and allows us to appreciate how interconnected our past (and present) truly are. In so doing, it reveals that those we often see as strangers are, in fact, our brothers and sisters. What a gift this knowledge offers to those who are fortunate enough to find it! We need more of this in our world today.

[@Vnket1]

She did not dwell much on the heart break of the Indian mother

[@linamoses3513]

@@Vnket1 I am always wondering how people who come from colonizing countries reconcile their ancestors activities as they learn about their genealogy.

[@mlynxguitar]

@@Vnket1 She was in tears...

[@Vnket1]

@@linamoses3513 they hide it

[@linamoses3513]

@@Vnket1 and still reap the benefits of generational wealth

[@archanadanappa6868]

I'm an Indian and I know a little about how women were treated here back then. Whatever happened to Harriet's mom, it was probably heartbreaking

[@melz6625]

yeah I’ve watched enough Bollywood movies like Lagaan to also feel bad when she was so excited that there was this mix. The lady did hint that it wasn’t usually consensual.

[@Dom-fx4kt]

@@melz6625 Is Bollywood an accurate source though, I don't think so. Not saying it was consensual or not, because I don't know myself.

[@techmania5957]

@@Dom-fx4kt bollywood is not but there are enough historical di riptions of india which states so

[@theagnosticmallu310]

@@Dom-fx4kt not bollywood..its a common historical fact that British invaded and exploited India,especially the northern parts for over 2 centuries

[@Dom-fx4kt]

@@theagnosticmallu310 I'm aware Britain invaded and exploited, but that wasn't what I was saying. There were documented marriages in the earlier days of the east India company, until the British decided it wasn't proper to mix like that and during the Raj era, mix marriages didn't happen so much after.

[@ArthurKnight1899]

Last time British were THIS excited to visit India it didn't go well....

[@bhoomika6008]

Damn!!!

[@chiefdvm1671]

@ferzy09 it's called a joke...

[@miaa7097]

🤣🤣🤣

[@wheeloftime2908]

Bigot,India was the crown jewel of the Brit empire It was one of the 2 largest economies prior to colonization The toxic brit empire filled its coffers through the trade of the world famous Indian spices and silk

[@vidya684]

😂😂😂

[@neilbrie8972]

The indian mother was probably very young, and had no choice to submit relationship, and then have her child take away from her. That horrible.

[@yashaswinich99]

Came here to say this! If Harriot's mother was indeed a local, it's very likely that she was exploited in more ways than one. It's not even remotely 'exciting'. I'm glad Olivia does say that in the end- how much say she had in it.

[@vineflower]

Why would you think that? Not necessary at all, might be true, but might be not true at all.

[@bwocpowers5314]

You have no way of knowing that

[@elkpaz560]

Or she saw the relationship as a way of bettering her status or economic condition. Or she fell in love. Who knows? People all around the world are sending their unaccompanied children thousands of miles to enter Britain today.

[@elkpaz560]

@ferzy09 The dreaded memsahibs.

[@pranaydas864]

My heart broke when she said that Harriot's mother had no say on what should happen to her daughter and that she had to give up on her to go to England knowing she would never see her again, but contending to the fact that she might have a better life there. Life is full of tough choices

[@marysmith5003]

Your heart should break a million times for each Indian woman who faced similar circumstances of having children with British men but had no control or say over their children's future. Perhaps even sadder, the ones deserted by their fathers and some left to sink into who knows what--perhaps also deserted by the Indian side of their families? Throughout history, the meeting of conqueror and conquered, imperialist and indigenous has too often resulted in a scourge upon the offspring. That said, we are talking about this because a couple of hundred years later, at least one of them is doing just fine. Good for Olivia Coleman, who was so wonderful in The Favourite and whom I am so looking forward to being the Queen.

[@pranaydas864]

@@marysmith5003 Couldn't agree more with you. So much pain written in history

[@SierraSierraFoxtrot]

After the episode aired they found the mother was not Indian, she was a called Seraphina Donclere, and she had no say because she died before her husband.

[@iriscollins7583]

@@marysmith5003 I should imagine the mothers had no say in their children's lives or futures then as now.. Hopefully there are enough enlightened men wherever they came from, and indigenous don't think that way today.

[@Kat-zi2tb]

@@SierraSierraFoxtrot Where's your proof.

[@shotgunbettygaming]

I've watched a LOT of docs on India and the horn honking is ever present. I think we as Westerners misunderstand it. I know I did for a long time. Here, we only use our horns to accentuate our displeasure or anger in a situation. Someone cuts us off, or brake checks you, we get pissed and honk while we scream. So we associate honking with that and it makes Indian cities sound so angry to us. But I do not think that is what is happening there. It's a conversation. 'Hey, coming behind you!' 'Look out! passing on the right!', etc. They just use their horns differently than us. It's still loud as hell though...whew.

[@TheBoss-jc6le]

The honking is kind of important in India if not the chances of an accident are really high

[@shotgunbettygaming]

@@TheBoss-jc6le Exactly! They haven't the same rules of the road that can be found in other countries. So if everyone is passing on the right, left and in between whilst running red lights on the norm...it stands to reason you want to let ppl now where you are and where you're coming from so no one gets hurt.

[@midlight9758]

Their horns are attached to the gas pedal

[@bbm260]

Exactly. In my town, bip bip means right behind you to overtake. Bip bip bip : watch out I am in turn. Biiiip mean watch out can cause accident. or give way. Bip 🎶 whether I should overtake or not

[@jacksparrowcapitan3232]

You understood it soo well

[@elizabethrose3187]

I think that historian was low key hinting at a non-consensual marriage. I dunno, maybe that's just me.

[@shayorihalder7202]

The historian was more likely hinting that Harriet's mother was not married to Harriet's father and she probably believed her to be a mistress as it was very common in the colonial period for englishmen to have an affair and impregnate local women without marrying them.

[@siddharthsingh4095]

@@vineethdhuplae2432 ohhh

[@ct5625]

I think it's quite revealing that no one knows her identity or what happened to her. That gives a good indication of how women were treated back then. You're probably right.

[@rei_cirith]

@@shayorihalder7202 I agree that it seems way more likely that Harriet's mother was a mistress or a servant that bore his child. It honestly doesn't make much sense for anyone to go through the trouble of marriage when it's much easier to have a mistress/servant off the books. It's kind of nice though that the family took Harriet in and made sure she was taken care of.

[@shayorihalder7202]

@@rei_cirith it was their responsibility to ensure that the child was taken care of, wouldn't you say so ?

[@michaelgreen4183]

I recently did the CRI Genetics test and was found to have Indian, Sri Lankan and Bengali ancestry. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. My ancestor/s probably had a somewhat similar story and ended up in England. I have always had a fascination with Indian culture and art. It's in my DNA so I guess it's the ancestors calling out through time to get my attention.

[@vermaishanvi037]

That makes me quite sad , because you never got to experience this beautiful culture first hand , but there is alwats time to explore!!

[@michaelgreen4183]

@@vermaishanvi037 Absolutely! Thank you!

[@MrsSlocombesPuddyCat]

Agreed Michael. I too discovered through DNA test that I have some Indian heritage. To say I am shocked is also an understatment.

[@mailgach]

Srilankans and Bengali ancestry is Indian they are not a different race from us Indians...

[@vekkstar]

Which relatives and how long ago? My great grandmother and grandfather were born in India; I already knew this prior to any DNA test though.

[@abhilashr8468]

There is no record of harriots mother name... But there is detailed book on the personal belongings of her british husband.... This explains how much she was valued... We don't have a clue about birth and death of millions of our own people, but we still store a British inventory record... My god...

[@SierraSierraFoxtrot]

After the episode aired they found out her identity, Seraphina Donclere, a European woman who died before her husband.

[@PradeepKumar-rp8qx]

@Anisha Sood sorry for my language sister.

[@stxfdt1240]

@Anisha Sood lol...West Bengal's every aspect especially education and other developments was fueled by none other than bengalis themselves...British just thought of a way to get their names associated thats all ffs....bridge falling is due to negligence of current political parties that doesn't signify anything...plus I think non bengalis should give our state "back to us" cuz they are the ones that are imposing their culture and language on us.

[@orionfernandes4587]

Yes, because the British are far more important.

[@shay2493]

@@orionfernandes4587 are u joking?

[@johnaron9819]

A delightful peek into the inner workings of Olivia Colman - no make-up, wiping away tears from her reddened eyes - just stark reality from one of the greatest of living actors.

[@RareCandeh]

Olivia is so heart-warming. I just want her to hug me and tell me everything's alright 😭

[@randomtravels2024]

⊂（♡⌂♡）⊃ here sweaty ''everything's alright'' ⊂(◉‿◉)つ

[@veronikathornley6516]

And she would possibly do it if you asked her

[@elizabethblackwell6242]

I just don't get the appeal of this woman. Have you seen some of the hateful things she's said?

[@shireenpadhye8450]

@@elizabethblackwell6242 like what please elaborate

[@jitaamesuluma9730]

i am part indian too, i love who my ancestors were all of them , i am proud to be part indian

[@doge3436]

@@rajatsingh6857 she said part indian.

[@ProfRavenSteel]

You should be proud 😊

[@jin_stix.a8679]

She is such an adorable human being

[@jestfuldemigod]

Yeah, wrong scene to be adorable in. Immature.

[@ImaginaryEvil]

Snaggle Toothed do you have citation?

[@ImaginaryEvil]

Snaggle Toothed I can’t find anything online to back up your claims that she attended dog fights. So unless you can cite your source, I call BS

[@MsPinkwolf]

Ignore him. He's an idiot.

[@rr7firefly]

What a lovely woman. I saw Olivia's acceptance speech when she was awarded the Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Queen Anne in "The Favourite." Everyone was enormously charmed by her sincere humility and humor.

[@BethFrecks]

“What side of the road is he on? Isn’t this a dual carriageway?” Hahah I love her SO much. A beautiful, humble hilarious lady and incredible actress too.

[@twobluestripes]

For me, riding in a car all over India and watching the other drivers and such on the roads, coming home to LA traffic seemed like no big deal!

[@Confusedbetweenfoodandfitness]

I absolutely adore Olivia and absolutely ecstatic to know she shares her roots in India. It’s minuscule but still. She was just amazing in Fleabag, so conniving and passive aggressive. She played it brilliantly.

[@brendadrew834]

Interesting. I find Olivia Colman so refreshingly down to earth and real compared to some actresses who are pretentious and walk around with their noses in the air! She's not a conventional beauty but so alive with life with a very expressive face, attractive but not a ravishing beauty like so many actresses are expected to be! Thanks for sharing~

[@kriegerkaiser]

“Tea, madam.” How sweet.

[@emy_2510]

Sweet or ... doesn't soubd right 😅

[@Rachel57567]

“It would appear one can overtake from both sides of the road” 😂😂😂😂😂😂 Welcome to India Olivia, you’re gonna love it!

[@seabeckon]

The record keeping is what got me, two complete century old documents.People have come and long gone but their traces remain soo much better than computers.

[@elkpaz560]

Indian bureaucracy is infamous. I don't know if it is a legacy of the British or Muslim empires or perhaps the native Hindu.

[@lemon4087]

@@elkpaz560 yea we do good record keeping, that lasts more than centuries. But the British peeps burnt alot ALOT of historical records n just science stuff in general that are of Indian descent (maybe they felt insecure) A few were being found in the deepest lockers of temples that are in fine condition. Our ancestors did that to protect them from Brits. I'm more interested in the old records in my language, shows how the literature changes over time 😊

[@The1234567890ashish]

There's an official archive of the Raj out on the internet. All you need is a genuine application requesting for research. Probably handled by the British Ambessy in India or the Department of Archives in New Delhi. Or try in Britain.

[@ronjacobe]

Olivia is such a kind gracious soul. This only made me admire her more.

[@daisy-fu9lc]

Unfortunately she does not actually have Indian blood. After the episode aired, a will was published which revealed Harriot Slessor's mother was a European woman called Seraphina Donclere.

[@Lakshyam9]

Well. It was not uncommon to hide evidence of the Indian wife an East Company executive might hv had.

[@Lakshyam9]

Do they hv the marriage certificate of this Seraphina and Harriet's father ?? And why was Harriet in India?? Why is there no mention of Seraphina in Indian context ??

[@tweetiepie551]

@@Lakshyam9 Her name was Seraphina Donclere, and her will dated 8 Oct 1809 referred to her daughter Harriet Slessor, another daughter named Charlotte Hunter, the fact that she was pregnant at that time, and naming Major William Slessor as her executor. She died shortly before the untimely death of William Slessor (7 Jan 1810) - possibly in childbirth. I have to wonder, as Seraphina was probably carrying his second child when she died, whether his death by “the accidental discharge of his fowling piece” was not an accident after all.

[@rrondon3280]

@@tweetiepie551 What would make you wonder that William Slessor's death might have been something other than an accident?

[@klassickasey]

[curb your enthusiasm theme intensifies]

[@dilwarhussain6380]

Hi Olivia I am from near to kishanganj. I had no idea about that, your ancestor is from this part of India. It's really amazing.

[@manhasnoname20yearsago67]

Well shes not shes of European ancestry.after the show aired they found that Harriet's mother was a European women named Seraphina

[@legendslog3911]

@@manhasnoname20yearsago67 for a second, you had me!! 20 years ago😁😁

[@lizclegg7556]

@@manhasnoname20yearsago67 Well, her orphan ancestor may not have had any Indian ethnicity but she was still actually born there.

[@AkankshaSharma-ex6eq]

@@manhasnoname20yearsago67 or may be they are hiding it .

[@ankitshrestha4229]

She's quite a character when you talk about British shows, I've quite literally bumped into her in the shows I never expected her to be a part of. Peep show, fleabag, the office, the Crown, you name it. She's done it all.

[@Shreyashi_512]

Totally agree.

[@globalcitizenn]

Sad that her Indian mother wasn't even counted

[@Q_QQ_Q]

they were not accounted in doments because they used to be all domestic workers who had no written profiles . Even now its same ..

[@Q_QQ_Q]

*Princess Diana was also same , her great maternal grand mother was Indian domestic worker with east India company in Gujarat in early 1800s same time as mentioned here* . *All of East India Company people had Indian women because British women were banned for traveling* .

[@bluesky-pb9di]

Of course not, she was full blooded eastern indian. They don't count. The actress seems only interested in the mixed ancestor. She doesn't even asked about the mother's family.

[@elianwolfert3879]

@@bluesky-pb9di They don't know who the mother was so how could she be asking about the family? She's obviously upset at learning Harriot had been taken from her mother and not even knowing the mother's name.

[@Akitila]

bye girl does not care? She was literally excited about it and she was sad to find out that they don’t know what happened to her mum. That they didn’t even know the name of her Mother

[@summeroflove394]

Makes me feel happy that this amazing lady has roots in the state that I am from.

[@kunalketkar]

Mrs Chatterjee is amazing... They way she explained the entire story is mesmerizing

[@shreyanachappa6424]

Half of what is being narrated is from a very biased English perspective of course. I’d urge you all to watch Dr. Shashi Tharoor, an Indian Parliamentarian’s speech at the Oxford about the British Raj in India. Will open up your eyes that have been blinded by colonial history that the English Govt and the school chooses to hide and forget to mention in their history friends. I happen to have a couple of friends from England , who are English they were baffled at their own history after watching that video

[@SleepIntoTheDiamondLife]

can you please post the link to Mr. Tharoor's speech here?

[@TheArkaRoy]

That's only one part of history which nobody can deny, but there was certain syncretic elements also, i didn't know this before just finished reading a long book about the history of early colonial experiences, and whatever they're here are absolutely true...

[@yasashii89]

How do you know his views aren't biased though? India does have a very nationalistic government and population. Nationalists tens to be extremely biased.

[@krishnapediaa]

@@yasashii89 shashi sits in the opposition and doesn't care for Indian's nationalist sentiments ;)

[@gingerbaker4390]

Colonial history.???? I don't think the many Indian princely states were very nice to each other before the British came and brought you all together as one country, and introduced democracy, rule of law, human and civil rights, schools, a civil service, trade, railways, global travel and off course cricket etc etc.... ,

[@shayorihalder7202]

I live near the tea estates shown in this video in Bagdogra, darjeeling ( which is on the connector route from the airport to Kishanganj ) and stroll there almost everyday. Seeing OLIVIA COLMAN appreciate it is so surreal!!

[@sayandebhalder4027]

Hi

[@barnabyaprobert5159]

She's more adorable than a kitten wearing a tiny bowler hat.

[@barnabyaprobert5159]

@@musicworship4520 Riri, 39 people disagree with you.

[@SleepIntoTheDiamondLife]

no way!

[@elizabethblackwell6242]

Really?

[@k-8511]

Olivia Coleman and Emilia Clarke both have indian ancestry,how cool

[@Upsallauniversity123]

Who comes after she got Oscar 😍

[@zumeowkittie]

It was like 5 to 6 months ago.. not after her oscars.. 🤦‍♀️

[@reemtri]

Rakshya A Bhujel - I read this comment as, who has come to this video after she has won an oscar

[@imaigadur1520]

me

[@yjk5737]

First Best Actress Academy Award for India.

[@shakeelmirza2754]

Rakshya A Bhujel she means who chose to watch this video AFTER hearing that she won an Oscar.

[@williamwestwood5825]

Isn't she just one of the most likeable people. I could listen to her all day.

[@mizanrahi54]

I am from Kishanganj. I hope one day you find your ancestors. we people of kishanganj really proud of you that your ancestors belong to Kishanganj 🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳

[@anilvashist6758]

Olivia could be your very very distant cousin 😊

[@mizanrahi54]

@@anilvashist6758 impossible, bcz my ancestors belong to Iraq(Najaf)

[@GreaterAfghanistanMovement]

@@mizanrahi54 No you don't, your just a converted Indian lol.

[@maryaswell9943]

I find her quirkiness so endearing

[@Taniya2708]

I wish I could meet Olivia!! She's such a charming person. Love her smile and laughter

[@Bonobanos]

this is my favorite episode of this show, love the details implying that harriet’s mother and father were learning each others’ languages

[@a1b2ghosh]

Well it was common for Indian officers to learn the local language seeing as they were literally there to rule over the people. When the historian said "well we dont know what happened to Harriet's mummy" what she politely implied was that "well she was a native girl--the brit officers raped/slep with/shacked up with them all right but its not like they were accepted into British colonisers society. She was well abandoned and her child taken from her"

[@Bonobanos]

@@a1b2ghosh damn, i just enjoyed thinking of them connecting across cultures and their daughter being taken care of is, i think, proof that he loved her but this kind of situation w colonizers sleeping w the locals isn’t normally a love story. certainly the british had to learn some of the many indian languages but i’m romanticizing it, thinking of how easy language is learned when u love someone foreign

[@kasienkakaminska6915]

😃😘

[@EJartistry]

I think by far Olivia Coleman’s “who do u think you are?” Is the most fascinating and interesting. She has a lovely personality as well 🙂

[@joermundgand]

The East India Company, when a corporation becomes a state because the state is too weak to stop it from usurping state power.

[@bellaloves2815]

Olivia Coleman is the most adorable and loving person

[@bellaloves2815]

bye girl they didn’t have any info on her grandmothers Indian mother, besides for that she was from that town, she met the man that was Harriet’s father and had Harriet. They didn’t keep a lot of docs of people of the lower class back then, and Olivia did ask what happened and if they knew anything but they can only go so far back with the limited resources they have

[@siddarth3955]

@@bellaloves2815 she talks of better life as if India was bad, its pure ignorance but well ...

[@anandhindu2804]

it breaks my heart when people lose their parents............ hope she had a good life

[@aayushray7712]

I live in a city which is very close to Kishanganj. The highways she passed are the same highways I use. I can't believe Olivia Colman came so close to my house and I didn't even realise it up till now.

[@arbjful]

It’s not exactly clear if Harriet Bazett was of Indian origin, this is just a theory

[@thebestevertherewas]

There's a 33% chance she was. More than 1/3rd of British East India officials had Indian mistresses.

[@mikeconnolly6845]

She’s not actually, Harriet’s mother died in 1810, she was called Seraphina Donclere and with a name like that she was of European descent.

[@WALTJOY]

@@mikeconnolly6845 Just because someone has an European name doesn't mean they're European. There are several people who live in countries that were originally colonized by Europe that have European names (like Maria). This doesn't even mention the fact that several indian people were christianized and given European names.

[@jacobrivers5728]

@@mikeconnolly6845did you see her photo next to her English husband? It’s crystal clear that she was of Indian heritage.

[@mrinmoykonar2762]

One of my favourite actors, OLIVIA COLMAN, visited India. Wow!

[@cozymable6234]

When Olivia starts expressing her concerns for the rule of the road in India. 😂😂 I’m with her on that!

[@shay2493]

Love that olivia was excited to learn more about her great great grandmother Harriet who was half indian but why didnt they ever mention abt Harriet's father being a literal colonizer💀 who came to India to colonize. And there's a huge possibility that what Harriet's father and mother had was unconsensual and that wasn't mentioned too great😭

[@h.d.5194]

I know it's ridiculous. She so desperate to have some exotic heritage yet just ignores that her ancestor was a colonizer and that is why Harriet's father was even there

[@Sgt.chickens]

@@h.d.5194 whose ancestors are not colonizers? There is no innocent group in history. There's no reason to focus on it when it happened to everyone everywhere. It was human nature throughout almost all our history

[@29Nehal]

Every time I hear her speak it's like I am listening to THE QUEEN 😀

[@sunflowerkidworld]

I'm sure little Harriot's mum would be delighted to know her daughter led to the gem that is Olivia Colman

[@NavjotKaur-cy4jf]

I wonder how they preserved the papers its wonderful. Even Though she didn’t meet her in person still that made her cry.

[@juandavidrestrepoduran6007]

When you do this, you cry. Today I just found out that an ancestor that was a saint is incorrupt, meaning that his body has been preserved after death naturally. Every year people during a season go and pray beside his enshrined remains. It's impossible to explain what I feel.

[@samuelwoods164]

Wow, my grandfather is indian and came to Engalnd in the 1950s, he moved on to Canada because of the racism, my mother and grandmother came back from Canada when she was very young, I have very white skin, people are shocked to learn I have such close indian heritage.

[@samuelwoods164]

He served in the British navy and was a talented boxer, they were just proud people who in India were told were needed in this country (and they were, we had just been through a war and needed cheap labour), when they got here and people were giving them racist abuse in the streets they decided to do the £10 pom thing but to Canada (it wasn't just Australia) and he eventually worked for an oil company, I believe he's still alive.

[@Q_QQ_Q]

+bye girl what racism ??? caste system aka brahminism is worst possible system ever created in the humanity is practiced in india .

[@TheAgukala]

Lol a very special kind of delusional and entitled. ‘Left India because of racism’ LOL

[@911beats]

@@TheAgukala she said he left England because of racisim

[@samuelwoods164]

@@TheAgukala you read it wrong they left India and moved to England, they experienced the racism in England and moved to Canada, no delusion, just think before you reply.

[@abw48]

British East India Company was at this time the biggest dealers in Opium.

[@amdbom]

Actually they existed during the mughals and before too

[@abw48]

@@amdbom : The British Empire took over all control of produce moving around the various areas that they controlled, why wouldnt they as they were the Power of the day, so its rather ironic that they now scream about the dangers of smoking weed when they were bringing Opium for Burma, down to Penang, Malaysia, Malacca, Malaysia, Singapore and then around to Hong Kong and into China, keeping the population stoned and unable to overthrow their Masters of War.

[@abhinavsharma5935]

yup true....even american president family (i forgot the name) also benefitted

[@rupertprawnworthy758]

They were the biggest dealers in almost everything.

[@abw48]

@@rupertprawnworthy758 :Thats how you control an Empire.

[@sayakchoudhury9711]

Kishangunj is very near to where I was born.It's a major rail station. Now it has a connection with a future Oscar winner.

[@margaretmcgarry7796]

Sayak Choudhury Hope she gets it ( the Oscar)

[@finnpeters7867]

Sayak Choudhury hope she wins

[@arcisvar4863]

@Raj Sharma and to where

[@sayakchoudhury9711]

@AstralStudent yes, because you know so much about me. I don't care about her ancestors, I just admire her as an actress. She has nothing to do with atrocities committed by her ancestors, she is just searching her roots. Also, how am I in her vicinity? If I were in her vicinity I wouldn't have typed the comment. Do you even know the meaning of vicinity?

[@suvrojitroy1093]

Sayak Choudhury Who is the future Oscar winner you are talking about? I know about Rima Das but she is from Assam and anyway Village Rockstars is not in competition anymore.

[@thePribs]

Olivia is adorable. Wish I could have driven her around Kishanganj, i would cherish our conversations for years to come.

[@gratitude.5696]

I'm feeling so lucky having come across this video. 😊 I couldn't stop laughing on her encounter with the traffic situation in India..."which side is he on..." 🤣 And the Namaste was so warm... Totally loved her!! And the excitement, you can literally feel it with her..."I'm so much more interesting than I thought"💕 I'm completely invested in her story!!

[@chetankmr]

Such a small world. We never know our roots. My home town is Kishanganj and i was surprised to know about her history. 😊😊

[@perseuswong6864]

9:32 We can surmise William Slessor adored his mix-race daughter if she was named after her British grandmother. I might guess that William wrote frequently of "India" Harriot to British Harriot for the Slessors to take an interest in the orphan after William's passing.

[@a1b2ghosh]

Wish his family had shown equal regard for the "local" mother of her child as well, who he impregnated outside of wedlock and who then was abandoned and had her child taken away from her.

[@AddiVF]

Olivia Colman is my new favourite woman.

[@greentheam629]

What a lovely human being she is

[@jadm2257]

They are many like her .

[@MANB91UK]

09:25 - "I want to know that she's okay." Uhh... She's dead Olivia :')

[@MinkDavid]

😂😂😂😂

[@korenakay1049]

awwww when she said we don't know what really happen well really we do we are sitting here today what a blessing we are the prodigy of our ancestors...

[@bucky-olivia-barnes8937]

She is a delight. I just want to hug her.

[@bryanjason1980]

Hello how are you doing 😊😊

[@lyelma3]

I found out my great great grandmother was Indian and moved to Manchester UK ❤️

[@annaaugustin7290]

I just love love love Olivia Colman!

[@pratyush8987]

Hey I Am From Kishanganj..I Currently Live Here ..... Its So fascinating to see my town in this documentary....😛😍 I am glad that this lady is connected to my town...🙏

[@pratyush8987]

🤔 what's lol in that ?

[@YourVoiceIndia]

I am proud to be from Kishanganj (India)

[@sendmail2tausif]

Me to

[@merkinidgit]

I love Olivia Colman so much. She’s so spontaneous and genuine. And when she smiles and speaks at the same time, her mouth doesn’t move! Must be difficult for lip-readers.

[@scorpioninpink]

I love how the Hammer and Sickle is just casually being seen in posters.

[@kanankumardas8702]

TRUE

[@edwardkumarkenway1875]

It's the symbol of the Communist Party of India(Marxist)

[@wesmatron]

I think she's absolutely lovely

[@sreenivaskamath4243]

I like how she embraces her Indian heritage.

[@aaacomp1]

She's not indian. Her british family merely lived there during occupation.

[@suhana8516]

It’s possible her heritage was covered up. Nevertheless, I’m still glad she’s proud lmao. She can be an honorary Indian.

[@dynamitebsb4520]

@@aaacomp1 don't u know English....her great great great grandfather married a local woman. Also I don't care whether she has Indian or British heritage, my second cousin is also married to an English woman,.it's a globalised world people from different nations are exposed to each other

[@h.d.5194]

@@dynamitebsb4520 she doesn't have a drop of Indian blood and in her despite wanting to feel exotic

[@Sgt.chickens]

@@aaacomp1 if ya took ypur first breath in a land. Thats your home. Simple as that. You were born a mere babe. No choice and no control. Only a moron would suggest ypur not indian for that. Indian is not a ethnicity. Its a nationality. Yes she isnt natively one of the many indian ethnicities. But neither are any indians by that measure. As all modern day peolles occupy lands that were not allways theirs. Celts in scotland and wales and ireland can trace back the original celt people to regions im france, and switzerland. Dkes that mean they are not scottish. But swiss? No.

[@erinas1]

I love her and her portrayal of the queen. Impeccable!

[@aslindrusk6854]

I love her, she was truly happy when she found out she has Indian blood 💚

[@anilvashist6758]

So true... it was a pleasure to see her positive reaction 😊

[@bevindacollaco745]

So that's what makes you so special. You have India flowing in your veins.

[@sonalidey2597]

yeah I'm from Kishanganj 👏 bt i didn't knew she visited Kishanganj 😐

[@immukku_]

yeah m also from hear n maine inhe live dekha jb iski shooting ruidhasa club me chal rhi thi🙂

[@syedjafferimam5789]

I was born in this town. Such a lovely video to watch.

[@n3r0n3]

7:59 what an actress! She is just great... I don't really know how she does it u push a button and she cries, u push a button and she smiles it's incredible...

[@Kaptionist]

Why can't everyone be like Olivia Colman?! The world would be so much better!

[@AditiChhawry]

That puppy at 3:08

[@fashioncreator5119]

Sali bootha deku apna kuthi

[@Vsingh77]

Everything is cool but at 3:01 the subtitle for kishanganj as kitchen girl 🤣🤣🤣🤣 WTH.... I CAN'T

[@peachesandcream.2612]

Olivia is such an amazing woman! Her energy and enthusiasm for life are so refreshing and inspirational. She is not only a brilliant actress - but a really special human being! God Bless you, Olivia 💕

[@suzy8109]

I adore Olivia Colman and finding out that her great great great great grandmother was Indian fills me with joy.

[@celticmulato2609]

Why does her Indian mix fill you with joy??

[@suzy8109]

@@celticmulato2609 Because I am British but my ancestry is Indian too. I can pretend she is some long lost cousin.🙂

[@malekarahman8246]

Being History student, I love history’s rootstocks

[@Sockenkatze]

"I am more interesting than I thought I was"... what on earth is she even thinking? O.o

[@mogznwaz]

Wow, so fetishising a tiny bit of Indian blood is more interesting than all of her European ancestors? Wow she needs to stop her virtue signalling.

[@begumsahiba6586]

Her Majesty looks so happy to visit her Ancestor’s land Krishan Ganj.

[@sofiakhan5905]

Olivia just saw ur crown u were in session 3 n 4 superb n happy to see ur great grandma was from kishanganj

[@cat_pb]

William was born in Portugal, so interesting !!

[@maazkalim]

Bwahahaha! Her remarks on driving sides are impeccable. And this is coming from an Indian resident, given the repute the fellows have - and if I must say.

[@commentatorxyz5514]

Incredible actress. I miss Peep Show and Olivia as Mark's (David Mitchell) ex-wife!

[@ChiranjitDeb-sw5cf]

Omg ..she is a rebounded actress..I saw him in a famous netflix serious in "Heartstoppers"..must be she was in a role in mother of Nick nelson....very supportive mother...

[@krishnakanhar3587]

Who's here after her Oscar win...😀!!

[@056Iceking]

Welcome to my hometown Olivia! It's not much, but it's rather strange knowing we have something in common!

[@lolaost9559]

Love Olivia! She makes everything fun and new.

[@themaninthemirror2038]

she’s the most delightful person ever..

[@pranavtyagi7478]

As an Indian American this makes me feel really happy and I don’t know why 😂

[@sudipbhaumik7905]

I live in a city called Siliguri within 100 kms.travelled there several times as my aunt lives three