 Writing for "the Telegraph", William Dalrymple noted, "In villages across south Asia, hundreds of people would gather around a single set to watch the gods and demons play out their destinies.In the noisiest and most bustling cities, trains, buses and cars came to a sudden halt, and a strange hush fell over the bazaars.In Delhi, government meetings had to be rescheduled after the entire cabinet failed to turn up for an urgent briefing."