• Speaking to daijiworld special correspondent Ares  at Anjuna, Lucie Eadon explains her special mission....

June 18, 2006

Goa: Lucie Eadon is a movie material in England because of her talents. But she can be better movie material in India and filmmaker Ashutosh Gowarikar can work on the sequel for his Lagan, if he works on the story of writer-cum-actress Lucie Eadon.

Lucie's story dates back to British India - somewhere in 1849. "Right from my great grandfather to my mother's side, my family history is more in India than in England," said this 28-year-old actress, who is down in India with a special mission.

"I want to track down entire history and find out places where my ancestors stayed, worked… everything," stated Lucie who met this reporter at Anjuna beach in Goa as a tourist.

Lucie's family history in Goa is tied up with the British armed forces and East India company. "My great grandfather William Fredrick Eadon married my great grandmother Winifred Mary in Mumbai which was then Bombay in 1921," she stated.

Down in India with her fiancé, Luke Meander, Lucie, does not carry much information about her roots in India. With whatever tit bits available she is scouting for her roots here.

"Back home in London, my mother is helping me by providing information… Mom has done research on my family and it is her
insistence that brought me down in India on this mission," Lucie says.

Lucie knows that her search would take her to cities like Mumbai, Calcutta, Allahabad, Puri and others. "One Mr Singh, who is my father's friend in Mumbai will help me.. let's see, I am yet to meet him," said Lucie, who is a freelance writer with The Times, London.

"I want visit all houses where they lived. My grandmother was born in Mumbai and later traveled to Calcutta," Lucie says.

Lucie's great grandfather was civil engineer in railways and was engaged in building bridges all over India.

Her mission got a set back seven years ago when her grandmother expired. "She was born in India, studied here. She used to narrate stories of India and how she was not allowed to study in public school fearing that she would be grown as average ordinary Indian child," Lucie recalls.

Lucie's family left India in mid-19th century never to come back. "She loved India and wanted to come back… she always told us stories about this great land," Lucie says with emotions in her eyes.

"What I imagined about India from my grandmother's stories was something different from what I have seen during my visit… But I love India.. I like this place and people," Lucie says.

She is skeptical whether she would be able to put pieces of information together and find out her roots. "There are very few pictures of my great grandfather with us. But still I am working on whatever I have.. If I succeed, I will surely write a book on my roots in India," Lucie adds.