Oxfordshire Limited Edition – August 2019

24 |OxfordshireLimitedEdition|August 2019

FEATURE

GETTINGTO KNOWANITARANI

Fromtheballroomtothehaybales,Anita

Ranibringsalittlebitofmagictoevery

typeofshow–andshecan’twaittoget

backtoBlenheim.

HavingwowedtheaudienceofStrictly

ComeDancing 2015 ,Anitaisnowback

presentingBBCOne’sCountryfile,aswell

asworkingonBBCOne’sTheOneShow.

ShetoldLimitedEdition:“Countryfile

LiveissomuchfunandIdoalotof

wanderingaround,Idoalotofshopping.

Butmyfavouritetimesofaristhedog

andduckshow.Ihadtotraindogstoherd

ducks...onlyatCountryfileLive.”

Fromcountrysideheroestofamilytrees,

herearesomethingsyoumightnotknow

aboutAnita.

Anita’sfamilywouldescapetothe

countryeveryweekendwhenshewasa

child.Shesaystherewasatimewhenhers

wouldbe“theonlyAsianfamilyoutinthe

Yorkshirecountryside,butthatthankfullyis

nowchanging”.

HerruralheroisMichaelEavis,farmer

andfounderofGlastonburymusicfestival,

saying,“Ilovethefactthatahippiefarmer

openeduphislandinSomersetfora

freefestival.ThesedaysGlastonburyisa

behemothbuttheethosisbrilliant.”

AnidealdayforAnitainvolves“walking

alldayandthenspendingtheeveningin

apubwithanopenfireandafewcreaky

floorboards”.

Anita’sfavouriteroadtripwasadrive

alongthedramaticcoastlinefromShannon

toDonegalinIreland.Shealsoloves

ConnemaraonthewestcoastofIrelandand

wouldlovetovisittheHighlands.

SheappearedonanepisodeofWho

DoYouThinkYouAre?whereshelearned

abouthermaternalgrandfather,whowas

oneofthe 15 millionpeopledisplaced

duringthePartitionofIndiain 1947 .His

firstwifeandtwochildrenwerekilledin

theupheavalandshebelievesthestoriesof

thattime“havetobetold”.Shewentonto

presentMyFamily,PartitionandMe,which

exploredherfamily’shistoryinfurtherdepth,

alongsideothersaffectedbyPartition,and

markedits 70 thanniversary.

SherecentlyledadelegationtotheHouse

ofCommons.ItcalledonMPstocreatean

annualdayofcommemorationforPartition

inrecognitionofitshugeimpactonsouth

Asiaatthetimeanditssubsequenteffecton

thegenerationsthatcameafter.

Sherecentlyspokeoutaboutprejudice

andhavingto“justify”whysheshould

presentshowsbecausesheisanAsian

woman.SpeakingtoTheGuardian,

sheexplainedthatshehadmadea

documentaryaboutBollywood,butwhenit

cametofrontthefollow-uponHollywood,

shehadtofightforherrighttopresentit.

“Ofcourse,theycouldunderstandme

makingaprogrammeaboutBollywood,

butHollywood?Whathadthatgottodo

withyou?”shetoldTheGuardian.

“Toanextent,weallhavetospeakup

aboutwhatwewant,”shesaid.“Butwhat

Iwantisn’talwayswhatiswantedofme.

“IfeelIhavetojustifywhyIshould

presentthingsmorethananyoneelse

becauseI’manAsianwoman.

“Youwouldneverthinktoaskthe

numberofposhwhitemenonTV:‘Why

didyougettopresentshowsabouttrain

travelinIndia?’Orwhateveritmightbe

because,youknowwhat,theyarethe

default,”shesaid.

“Theydon’tneedtoworryabout

authenticityorwhatspacetheyaretaking

up.Ido,allthetime.”

CountryfileLiverunsfromAugust 1 - 4

atBlenheimPalace

countryfilelive.com

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