My brother, who was working as an Italian interpreter for MTV Italy, asked me to assist them in Benares and Allahabad. They were working on a documentary titled *Camminando*, a joint production between MTV Italy and LA7 (Channel 7). They were in Lucknow when they contacted me, and their next stop was Allahabad, where they wanted to film Patalpuri Temple and the ghats, but they didn’t have any contacts or a clear plan for the shoot. I was tasked with selecting characters and scheduling interviews in both Benares and Allahabad, with only four days to complete the work.

I reached out to Mr. Shubhranshu Chowdhary, who had been my boss during the CBC documentary, to see if he knew anyone in Allahabad. He provided me with the contact information of a journalist in Benares, who then connected me with another journalist in Allahabad. The following day, I traveled to Allahabad and met the journalist. We visited all the locations MTV wanted to film, including the Patalpuri Temple, which is located within Akbar’s fort and is now a military base. Despite our attempts to contact the army officers, the process seemed too lengthy given our tight schedule. I decided to leave this part to the journalist and returned to Benares to complete the remaining tasks.

In Benares, MTV wanted to film Sadhus, Babas, and Aghoris. I first visited the Kina Ram Monastery, the headquarters of the Aghor society. However, I was unable to obtain permission to shoot there because previous TV channels had filmed there without proper authorization, resulting in unauthorized footage being included in their broadcasts. I learned that Aghoris are often misunderstood; they do not consume dead body flesh or engage in other extreme practices as rumored. Although they were very open and informative, they did not allow us to film.

I then visited several other Aghor monasteries, all of which shared similar views about the society’s practices, emphasizing that Aghoris no longer partake in such rituals. I also explored Bhagwan Avdhoot Ram Ashram on the other side of the Ganga, which was quite interesting. The ashram operates a hospital recognized in the Guinness World Records for treating the most leprosy patients, as well as a school for street children, a library, and a press. Although the ashram was initially reluctant to allow MTV to film due to previous issues with the Kina Ram Monastery, I managed to persuade them to permit the shoot.

I visited other monasteries that were open to filming, including one with several Italian Aghoris. Despite their limited knowledge about Aghora, MTV was keen to include them. MTV was particularly interested in finding an Aghori who would eat dead body flesh on camera. This was a challenge because, according to Aghoris, such practices had been abandoned over 400 years ago by Baba Kina Ram and were now prohibited. However, I managed to locate an Aghori who agreed to eat dead body flesh. He planned to perform a special puja called Mahabhog once a year, using dead body flesh, and was willing to conduct an additional puja specifically for MTV.

I was shocked by his willingness to engage in such practices for money. He even provided a list of materials he needed, including two bottles of whisky, and assured me he would arrange for the dead body. He explained that when bodies are cremated, some are retrieved by the Doams, who work at the funeral place, and this would be used for his puja. MTV Italy was thrilled to have found someone willing to perform this ritual, but their Rome office ultimately prohibited the footage of the ritual due to ethical concerns. After completing the filming in Allahabad, MTV Italy arrived in Benares.

We filmed all the planned characters, including an intriguing Baba known as Lali Baba, who wore over 350 necklaces weighing more than 40 kg and engaged in various unique practices. MTV considered Lali Baba to be the standout character of the documentary. We also filmed at the Mother Teresa Home. When the shoot concluded, MTV Italy left Varanasi. Unfortunately, they were among the most disorganized teams I have ever worked with. They lacked a clear schedule, had no knowledge of what to do in Benares until just days before their arrival, and were unfamiliar with the characters they wanted to film.

Later, my brother informed me that the entire crew was arrested in Khajuraho for filming inside temples where cameras were prohibited. They had entered the temple by scaling the back wall and spent over eight hours in jail. Their lack of organization was astonishing.