Anyone who’s even remotely been a fan of The Beatles — possibly the most iconic band in music history — will know the life-changing experience they had while in India. Their music can in fact be divided into two time frames — before India, and after. There is even a theory which says that Sexy Sadie, a song from The White Album, is a scathing indictment of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, their spiritual guru in Rishikesh who they were ultimately disillusioned by. Of the ‘Fab Four’, it was George Harrison who was taken in the most by our country (Within you without you, a sitar-based track that he composed, encapsulates this influence). But even when it comes to the other three members — John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr — their time in India left an indelible mark on not just their music, but their psyche as well.

A new documentary called The Beatles and India now digs deep into the details of the time they spent here in the 1960s. As part of it, there is also an album that has been released where Indian indie stalwarts reimagine hits by the band, giving them a desi twist. The musicians include the likes of Warren Mendonsa, Karsh Kale, Nikhil D’Souza and Lisa Mishra. “The album accompanies the documentary,” D’Souza tells us, adding that a UK label called Silver Screen facilitated the whole process. It is a one-of-a-kind effort, regardless of whether you like the music or not.