In this context, I was very interested to see the recent pre-election reports from Afghanistan by Amitav Revi, whom we have seen studio-bound for some time. If I were to pick the most consistent and unflappable newscaster on Indian TV, I would choose Revi. Some viewers have pointed out to me that he has a remarkable facial resemblance to Rahul Dravid and one of them once referred to Revi as The Great Wall of NDTV. I could not agree more and would strongly recommend Revi as a role model to all those nervous newscasters who have suddenly erupted on TV. They are always worried about when to smile (mostly in the wrong places) and what words to stress (mostly every second one and usually the wrong one). I have never known Revi to mispronounce a word, he is detached without being wooden and his rare and gentle smiles are spontaneous and, therefore, in the right context.

It was in a new avatar that I saw Revi in Afghanistan. He seems to have spent a good deal of time there and brought to his reporting the same kind of thoroughness, in a style and language admirably suited to foreign reporting. From interviewing voters to tracing the fortunes of Sikhs in Afghanistan; from picking up Afghanis’ love for Indian films and music to the problems faced by women even post-Taliban;, from schools for children to lack of higher education at the college level and after, Revi brought into focus the help India is giving, including rebuilding of a school where Afghan royalty and the present President had once studied.

Revi did not pursue star values for himself, like some of his pushy colleagues do, but acted cool, thorough and balanced, which are his strengths as a newscaster and anchor. I don’t know about the facial resemblance with Rahul Dravid, but Revi certainly has the same sterling qualities as The Great Wall of India.