SBS is lighting up the screen this Diwali season, offering Australians an unparalleled array of content that stretches from the culinary to the cultural. For the second consecutive year, the network is going big on Diwali, Deepavali, Bandi Chhor Diwas, and Tihar—festivals that collectively captivate over a billion people worldwide.
What makes SBS’s coverage stand out is its commitment to diversity and cultural understanding. It isn’t just about the lights and the sweets; it’s a multifaceted exploration of how these Festivals of Light are celebrated across different communities in Australia. This will be achieved through an exciting line-up of digital, video, and audio content designed to entertain and educate.
Television isn’t the only medium getting the Diwali treatment. SBS Audio is rolling out an expansive spread of new content through its various language programmes. Languages covered include Bangla, Gujarati, Hindi, Malayalam, Nepali, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu. This linguistic buffet will serve up explainers, community festival guides for 2023, audience competitions, and even a bespoke SBS podcast titled ‘My Diwali.’
The podcast will dive deep into the experiences of celebrating Diwali in multicultural Australia, featuring interviews with the likes of ex-Masterchef contestant Depinder Chibber, female dhol drum player Priya Gakhar, and Rohit Bhargava, COO of One Future Football. The topics will range from traditions and spirituality to food and games.
But it’s not all talk; there’s a great deal of visual delight too. A new video series hosted by celebrity chef Kishwar Chowdhury will explore what Diwali looks like down under, spotlighting both multifaith families and second-generation Australians. This year’s line-up will even take over prime television slots from 5 October to 17 November.
The cinematic experience won’t be limited to documentaries and series; SBS On Demand is set to feature an assortment of movies inspired by themes of the festival. Films like ‘The Man Who Knew Infinity,’ ‘Women Beyond Bollywood,’ ‘Angry Indian Goddesses,’ and ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’ are just a few of the offerings that will be available for streaming. Mark your calendars for a SBS World Movie marathon on Sunday 12 November, featuring a non-stop spree of feature films.
In the context of culinary content, SBS Food has quite a feast prepared. A new series, Luke Nguyen’s India, will premiere alongside episodes from food travellers like Anthony Bourdain and Rick Stein. There’ll even be a special episode of Gordon Ramsay Uncharted in India and a series of first-person memoir pieces and recipes, celebrating the gastronomic aspects of Diwali.
For educators, SBS Learn is bringing Diwali into the classroom with ready-to-go resources. Teachers can learn how to create a kolam or rangoli with guided instructions in multiple languages. This underscores the network’s commitment to cultural understanding and educational outreach.
Community participation is also high on the agenda. SBS will actively participate in 11 events around Australia in collaboration with community partners. From the Diwali Street Festival in Wentworthville to the Alice Springs Town Council Night Markets, the network will be there, capturing the vibrancy of these celebrations.
James Taylor, Managing Director of SBS, voiced the network’s enthusiasm for the project: “We’re thrilled to be the Australian home of the Festivals of Light for a second year and to share this wonderful cultural celebration with all Australians.”
So, as Diwali draws near, it’s evident that SBS is going far beyond just lighting up lamps; it’s illuminating minds, connecting communities, and celebrating the multicultural tapestry that makes Australia so unique.
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#SBS enriches the #Diwali season in Australia with diverse content, spanning TV, podcasts, cinema, food, education, & community engagement, celebrating cultural unity. 📺🎙️🍲 #TheIndianSunhttps://t.co/xLK70fDWpT
— The Indian Sun (@The_Indian_Sun) October 28, 2023
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