KOCHI: Some 12 months ago Lija Gijo, executive director of Bless Retirement Living, an high-end retirement village near Aluva, received a call from the BBC asking if the companys retirement homes will be available for shooting a documentary. At that time, our retirement homes were still under construction, recollects Lija. The liaison officer made a follow-up call in June last year to inquire on the status of the project.

We had scheduled the soft launch of the project on August 20, which I told her. They came here and interacted with the elderly community at our home on the launch day. Within one month, on September 20, the BBC crew and its celebrity cast were here for one full days shooting, she explains. We are talking about The Real Marigold Hotel- series two, the multi-award winning travel documentary series from BBC which was shot in Kochi. The four-part series, which concluded on March 24, is inspired by, but unrelated to the blockbuster film, The Real Marigold Hotel, is to test if eight celebrity cast will consider spending their sunset years in Kochi.

Embarking on the journey of the lifetime were eight British celebrities-- entertainer Lionel Blair, actress Amanda Barrie, snooker champion Dennis Taylor, TV personality Rustie Lee, Doctor Miriam Stoppard, presenter Bill Oddie, singer Sheila Ferguson and actor Paul Nicholas. We chose Kochi as it is the best way to access as much as possible of Kerala and southern India as possible. It had great connections, charming accommodation, impressive medical care, access to the best of Kerala such as the backwaters and beaches, and interesting festivals and festivities in our filming period, says David Vallance, series editor of The Real Marigold Hotel.

The shooting lasted for one-month, and the crew stayed at Fort Kochis Le Colonial, probably Asias oldest colonial house dating back to 1506. I do think India will be an eye-opener for them. Most people, when they come to India, either love it or hate it. But you are never indifferent to it, Smita, manager of Le Colonial, says in the first episode. Kochi-based yoga guru S Rajendran, who has conducted workshops in the US, Israel and Dubai, was entrusted with the task of training the celebrity particpants on the Indian physical and mental excercise regimen. I conducted yoga sessions on six out of the eight members. I helped them with stretching, simple and basic asanas, pranayama and deep relaxation. They were happy with the outcome, Rajendran says.

And what was the experience all about for the celebrities, who are all on the wrong side of 55? The cast enjoyed exploring Kochi, its culture and people. Some of the cast were particularly impressed by the beautiful backwaters, visiting the Kerala Kathakali Centre to watch traditional dance performances and experiencing a traditional Keralan wedding, says David Vallance, the series editor. In The Real Marigold Hotel- series 1, telecast in January 2016, a different set of celebrities explored retirement living in Jaipur. The series which is inspired by 2011 movie, which starred Dame Judi Dench, Dame Maggie Smith and Penelope Wilson. In the movie, they moved to India for their golden years.

The four-part series on Kochi is already seeing a big impact on the UK residents, who are exploring the possibility of settling down in the Queen of the Arabian Sea for their sunset years. Says Lija, executive director of Bless Retirement Living: We have received at least 40-45 enquiries from the UK after The Marigold series. There are minor irritants though. For instance, the regulations will allow only 6-month visa for British residents, and they need to re-apply after every six months. We are discussing with our legal advisor on resolving the issue and see if senior UK residents can stay at our facility for the rest of their lives.

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Post-retirement spots: Celebs try out Kochi - The New Indian Express