SIGHT & SOUND

A case of overkill
Amita Malik

THE minute I landed in Kolkata, I felt I was in a different world. The first thing I noticed was a drop in technical quality of TV programmes. All the Bengali channels have old-fashioned slow-moving camerawork, although Alpha Bangla and ETV are slightly better. The sets are appalling and the backdrops for the news are distracting. DD has a rural mud hut and a palm tree set. The news is either read in a dull mechanical way or too fast. All news readers seem camera conscious.

Kudos to Doordarshan Kolkata for an engaging interview with Shyam Benegal on his film on Netaji. It was a refreshing change from the run-of-the-mill stuff shown by Bangla channels

When it comes to plays, few are TV-orientated. The sets are cluttered up with furniture and unnecessary accessories, making it very difficult for the cameramen. One of the better telefilms, I saw was on Alpha Bangla. It was by Runa Guha Thakurta, and was shot both indoors and outdoors. 

The acting was mature, the camerawork and direction clean and uncluttered. It was a proper TV play. My sister, who has discriminating tastes, says most Alpha Bangla plays maintain professional standards.

I must give DD Kolkata a pat on the back for an interesting interview with Shyam Benegal on his film on Netaji. The conversation was conducted with knowledge of the subject by a historian, S Bose and it brought out not only Benegal’s approach to the subject but also the difficulties he faced in different countries, from Myanmar to Germany.

I was in Kolkata for Saraswati Puja, which fell on Republic Day. It was a joy to see little Bengali girls dressed in their miniature yellow sarees. A good TV round-up was done of the rise in prices of fruit and vegetables. Para Bengla does a round-up of traffic conditions every morning in collaboration with Kolkata’s traffic police. We could do with that in Delhi.

If you were to ask me what I found most depressing about Bengali regional television, it was how they were copying Hindi satellite channels. Every channel has an antakshari quiz programme. Music, especially classical, is presented by dull anchors.

I must mention an interesting experiment by Para Bangla. It has a tie-up with Bangladesh under which at least 20 minutes are devoted to news about Bangladesh. It sets one wondering why, in the changed atmosphere, Indian channels could not have such tie-ups with Pakistan. It would not only make the news less propagandist but also lead to cultural interaction between the two countries. Para Bangla has won India a lot of goodwill in Bangladesh, for it has encouraged cultural exchange and kept away from political propaganda. This opens up immense possibilities for TV exchange with neighbouring countries.