Upon visiting, Malle finds a couple others from western civilizations who were driven to India because they were curious about what they’d find there; like Malle, they felt a different aura from people who came back from India and were entranced by what they read in books and images. But the India they find is far different from what they could ever envision. Predating the narration and observations of the likes of an Anthony Bourdain or Andrew Zimmern, Phantom India is less about facts and figures of a country on the cusp of industrialization as it is personal reflections on an India quickly fading. Beautiful, ponderous, sobering – it will undoubtedly leave an impression on you. Perhaps, like me, you’ll be left wondering if this is the real India or if this is simply adding more to folklore.