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Brit TV stars find a past in Mumbai
Updated On: 03 May, 2020 12:00 AM IST | | Fiona Fernandez
The Thomas Brothers accompany their musician father to trace his Anglo Indian ancestry for a three-part series for UK television
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The Thomas Brothers wanted to experience an Indian festival, so they headed to Jejuri on an auspicious day when turmeric is sprayed in the air as part of the celebrations. "It was phenomenal to be at the top of this amazing temple while having the chance
The Jonas Brothers might rock the charts in the US, but across the Atlantic, ask a TV-mad tween to name her idol, and chances are, she will pick one of the Thomas Brothers. Manchester-born Ryan, Scott and Adam are reality television stars. But their life had a Bollywood-like dramatic element surrounding the hazy link their father had with India. Dougie James, 72, lead vocalist for a famous 1960s band called Dougie James and the Soul Train was big on the circuit and had even toured with Michael Jackson. Dougie-s father, Nolan, a young journalist in Bombay, decided to leave India post-Independence, like many Anglo Indians, to start a life in the UK. He anchored himself in Manchester.
Ryan, Adam and Scott with their father, Dougie James near Gol Deval Market
Absolutely India: Mancs in Mumbai is a just-released ITV documentary that attempts to trace the family-s bloodlines across continents and unearth the brothers- -quarter-Indian side-, as the publicity poster suggests. "When we were in early talks to do something as brothers, this idea leaped out at us. Apart from focusing on us as family, it allowed us to explore the secrets about our Indian roots, meet relatives we never knew existed," says Adam, 35, over email. The former Coronation Street star adds that the brothers were excited to take their father back to his father-s birthplace. "We knew nothing beyond the fact that there was an India connect," admits Ryan, 31, who has acted in Love Island. His twin, Scott, appeared on the television show Emmerdale. He says, "We didn-t see our dad for a while when growing up, and during this trip, we finally got to deal with that." He is referring to the period after their parents divorced when Dougie left home briefly, revealing that they experienced unscripted emotional bonding once the camera rolled. "This was huge for my dad because he loved his father, but knew nothing about his early years."
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