The film ‘India Then & Now’ is part of the PK150 Connected Collections Project, produced by research interns Hannah and Rutvi.

India Then and Now is a short film exploring the impact of the telegraph system on language use in India. It begins with an overview of telegraphy in India, focusing especially on the connection between England and India established in 1870, and emphasising how this connection was significant for the spread of language, culture, and ideology. The second part of the film delves into linguistic diversity in India and looks at how English is increasingly an important part of this complex language landscape.

Header image: Bombay, India. The photo is of the Bombay Government Telegraph Department from the PK Archives.

Authors: Hannah Reeves and Rutvi Narang

Hannah is a recent graduate of Exeter University and Citizen Curator. Rutvi is currently a student at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai.