ASIA review: A breathtaking love letter to the wild heart of the continent

India Today

17-07-2025

What makes the experience of watching a wildlife series so exciting? It's a window to having the realisation of sharing your home with others, to the vast landscape of unbelievable beauty you are co-habiting with those you could probably never see in real-life. A new BBC series, titled quite clearly and aptly, 'Asia', makes you revel in the joy of living among such gorgeous creatures, sharing your land with them and having the opportunity to observe their peculiar characteristics. advertisement'Asia' is a seven-part series with each episode one hour long. It is presented by Sir David Attenborough and covers the marvels of the richest continent in the world. The series follows the most remarkable landscapes and animals, and their stories - dramatic, special and absolutely unbelievable. The series has been filmed over the course of nearly four years. Each episode features stunning cinematography done at the most difficult locations possible amid the most unpredictable weather. But, that's not the most thrilling part of the series. It is the wildlife itself.
'Asia' takes you close to the lives of the most breathtaking creatures in the sea, in the mountains and inside the forests. From the vast Gobi Desert, the jungles of Borneo, the polar wilderness of Siberia to the coral seas of the Indian Ocean, this is one series that makes it easier for you to fall in love with nature. Music by K-pop icon SEVENTEEN and award-winning composers Jacob Shea and Laurentia Editha give it a polished touch, but the real worth lies in exposing the team behind shooting the series. At the end of each episode, there is a few-minute slot dedicated entirely to the crew who filmed these creatures, took the risk of presenting something extraordinary to the viewers - all of it offering a more immersive experience for the viewers. The best thing about any BBC series based on nature and the planet is its quality, and 'Asia' takes it notches higher. Every frame looks drenched in colours, and every story becomes a sacred script of creativity. The series also prominently features India's most stunning landscapes and the story behind the majestic elephants living in the high-altitude tea plantations. 'Asia' is also like a treasure trove for those who enjoy witnessing a wealth of wildlife, and uncovering stories of unseen animal behaviour. In the foothills of the Himalaya, amidst forests of bamboo, you'll come across Asia's shyest and possibly the cutest mammal: the red panda. In Nepal, you'll follow rhinos playing 'kiss chase' in a bizarre courtship ritual. Five thousand metres up on the Tibetan Plateau, you'll witness a lone wolf relentlessly hunting a herd of antelope for hours on end. In Sri Lanka, you'll join elephants that have learnt to become highway thieves – holding up buses to get food from the passengers. And in the rich waters of the Western Pacific, you'll swim with sea snakes that have learnt to team up with fish to hunt. And this is not even the basics of it. advertisementFilming locations include Lake Baikal, the oldest and deepest lake in the world; the vast Taiga forest that stretches across northern Russia; the Lut Desert in Iran; the jungles of Borneo; the coral seas of the Indian Ocean and several bustling Asian cities: Tokyo, Bangkok, Taipei, Bhopal, Hanoi and Singapore.'Asia also explores the conservation challenges facing the continent and shines a light on the potential solutions being championed by the region's conservation heroes. While this review was done after watching three episodes, the makers joined a 24-hour wildlife rescue team saving Sunda pangolins in urban Singapore, while filming the final episode of the series. Asia will stream on BBC Player starting July 18th on Tata Play Binge and with an ad on subscription on Prime Video India. This is not just about the creatures you never knew, but about the grandeur of your home, your world - up and close! - EndsTune InMust Watch