While working with a UK-based NGO supporting children and adults with special educational needs, Dr Rathan Kumar pursues his passion for literature and history through self-funded documentaries on Britain’s literary, philosophical and cultural heritage, bringing lesser-known stories to the world.

Dr Rathan Kumar is a familiar face on the train between Royal Leamington Spa and London. His strong communication skills, easygoing attitude and deep passion for books and reading enable him to strike up conversations with fellow passengers, keeping them engaged throughout the two-hour journey.

Many travellers have become his friends, sometimes even waiting for him to arrive so they can have meaningful discussions. Somewhere during these conversations, which cover a wide range of subjects, Dr Rathan realised the potential of visual storytelling.

This led him to launch a digital initiative exploring and documenting England’s literary, philosophical and social heritage, which has received appreciation from audiences. “By presenting verified historical facts within accessible formats, the documentaries bring lesser-known dimensions of British cultural history to a global audience,” says Dr Rathan, who works with a UK-based NGO, in a conversation with The Global Indian.

Exploring Britain’s literary and cultural heritage

“Our broadcast content focuses on key cultural and intellectual figures who shaped global thought, including literary figures, philosophical thinkers, cultural spaces and London’s historic pubs,” says Dr Rathan, who lives in Royal Leamington Spa, about two hours from London.

From delving into the lives and settings associated with William Shakespeare and John Keats to exploring political thinkers such as Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin, Dr Rathan’s work spans a wide range of subjects.

He has also undertaken a systematic visual study of London’s historic pubs, examining their architectural heritage, symbolic value and role in community life across the United Kingdom. Combining scholarly research with visual storytelling, Dr Rathan has collaborated with his friend Poornama Chary Kagithala to produce short documentaries offering nuanced perspectives on landmark figures and historic spaces across the country.

Projects across the UK

Distributed through international broadcasting channels and digital platforms such as YouTube, Dr Rathan’s short features have attracted viewers from Europe, the Middle East, North America, the UK and the Indian diaspora.

Travelling to different parts of the UK, he has completed five projects so far. “I mostly travel on weekends. Sometimes I drive six to seven hours for a shoot,” says Dr Rathan, who recently visited the interior regions of Wales.

Taking documentaries to audiences

Dr Rathan says his projects bring lesser-known dimensions of British cultural history to a global audience by presenting verified historical facts in accessible formats.

“The documentaries on London pubs and Cambridge are being aired by Coventry & Warwick Literature Screening, a local documentary association of literary groups. They were also aired on the Royal Leamington Spa news network.”

His YouTube channel is titled Rathan Kumar Namtabad Investigating Europe. Eight of his videos, including teasers for upcoming projects, are currently available on the platform. “Between 4,000 and 5,000 people have watched my content across the USA, Dubai, the UK and Maldives,” he says.

Latest project 

Dr Rathan’s latest documentary is set to focus on Hay-on-Wye, a famous market town in mid-Wales known for its bookshops and literary culture. “My next documentary on Hay-on-Wye will be a knowledge-sharing resource for the entire academic community. It is a global village of books,” says Dr Rathan, who funds his projects independently.

Combining research with visual storytelling

The success of the series relies on a balance of narrative and visual expertise.

Dr Rathan brings his background in comparative literature to the voice-over narration and historical research, providing contextual depth to the documentaries. His collaborator, Poornama Chary Kagithala, an accomplished visual artist, directs the cinematography and visual composition, using carefully selected locations and framing to enhance the narrative.

“Together, we continue to showcase how our academic research at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) translates into compelling, public-facing digital media,” says Dr Rathan, who has been living in the UK for the past five years.

He says it took two years to study literary places, other sites of public importance, and British culture and heritage. “My literature background helped me curate all my documentaries,” he mentions.

From Telangana to the UK

Born and raised in Warangal, Telangana, Dr Rathan’s association with literary organisations began with Mithramandali, which was headed by the renowned Telangana writer Kaloji Narayana Rao. “We used to visit his house every week as literature students and discuss books,” he recalls.

His strong English-medium education at St Paul’s School in Hanamkonda, Warangal, laid a solid foundation, particularly in language and communication.

Teaching in the Maldives

“My aim was to become a teacher. I was serious about it. But I used to fail in mathematics always. I hated maths,” smiles Dr Rathan.

His father was an ardent lover of Telugu literature and books, which had a profound influence on him. Dr Rathan soon developed a deep love for literature and reading. He went on to secure a job as a senior English teacher in the Maldives, where he worked for four years.

“I was teaching A-Level Cambridge during 2003 to 2008 at Hithadhoo Island, almost eight hours from the capital city, Male,” he says.

He later returned to India and appeared for MPhil entrance examinations at reputed universities across the country. He eventually secured admission to the University of Hyderabad, where he completed his PhD.

Dr Rathan later married an IT professional and moved to the USA, where he lived for four years.

Working with an NGO in the UK

In the UK, Dr Rathan works with an NGO supporting children with special educational needs. The organisation is a county-sponsored state agency.

As part of his teaching responsibilities, he schedules classes for teenagers and adults who have dropped out of school or college and wish to resume their education and complete their A-Level qualifications. “Training and making them exam-ready needs a lot of effort,” says Dr Rathan, who teaches humanities subjects such as literature and philosophy.

His students include those who were forced to discontinue their education for several years owing to health issues. “Most of them could not attend school regularly, with some even having a gap of three to four years,” says Dr Rathan.

Volunteering at Cambridge

Dr Rathan also volunteers at the Cambridge Literary Festival, which takes place every six months. “People in the UK give a lot of importance to volunteering work, even recommending us for vacant posts in academic institutions,” he says.

He occasionally works as a tour instructor for groups of tourists visiting London. “My extensive knowledge of London’s literary affairs makes my job a tad easier,” he adds.

Road ahead

Dr Rathan has travelled across Europe and parts of Africa, and his next project is on the Netherlands. “I will be leaving for the Netherlands, Germany, Prague and Vienna shortly,” he says.

He feels that many YouTubers are increasingly misleading viewers with their travel videos. “They lack knowledge, don’t do enough legwork and just show things randomly without getting into the depth of it,” says Dr Rathan, who also completed a creative writing course at Oxford University two years ago.

A personal library of 2,000 books

In his free time, Dr Rathan enjoys reading. “I have my own library, which has more than 2,000 books collected from different parts of the world,” he concludes.

• Explore Dr Rathan Kumar’s videos on Britain’s cultural and literary heritage on YouTube