BBC Two's heartbreaking documentary, Searching For Mum: India, is set to be the saddest thing on TV tonight as it follows a woman's search for her birth mother after she was left at an orphanage at just one day old.
Leila was left at International Mission of Hope in Kolkata, India, an orphanage that specialised in babies born from unwanted pregnancies, where she was adopted and brought to Brighton.
This is the final episode of the series and it follows Leila as she travels to India in the hope of finding her birth mother and meeting her for the first time with just one picture and an address from almost three decades ago.
During her heartbreaking search, she discovers that she was born as a result of a 'socially unacceptable' relationship, but believes she was still born out of love.
Advert
Leila's adoptive parents were told that her mother was a domestic servant who had an affair with a wealthy businessman, but wasn't able to keep her daughter because of the taboo surrounding the 'legitimacy' of her child.
In the episode, Leila is accompanied by adoption counsellor Ian who has helped hundreds of other adoptees and went through a similar experience himself.
Speaking about the search for her mother, Leila said: "For 28 years I've wondered what happened to this lady with the sad eyes who never got to see her baby grow up.
Advert
"The strange thing about being adopted is knowing that you could've lived a completely different life with different parents.
"It's only been a couple of years that I've realised that this woman may have been forced to give me up, and she might be thinking that one day I would come back to India to find her.
"I reached a point where to know nothing about my birth mother feels like a massive void and it needs to be filled."
Last week's episode pulled in emotional comments from viewers on social media, and one said: "What an emotional show. So happy at least one of them has been reunited with families. A very tough watching show."
Advert
Another said: "Blimey searching for mum on BBC has completely broken me finding her mother made her whole again! Never under appreciate family ever again folks."
Searching For Mum airs on BBC Two at 9pm tonight.
Featured Image Credit: BBC Two/ Searching For Mum
Topics: TV News, TV Entertainment, BBC Two
