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Saturday, February 18, 2006 |
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Saturday, February 18, 2006 |
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LAST fortnight was more macabre than it usually is, if one goes by the telly news. Suicides, immolations et al made one wonder at the direction our polity was taking. Violence, self-inflicted or otherwise, does not make for palatable viewing. There has been a lot of controversy regarding televising of immolations; the assembled television crew got a lot of flak for ‘heartlessly’ remaining behind their respective cameras and doing nothing to prevent the immolation bid. This raises a question – if reporters become participants in a given incident wouldn’t they be doing what the police should be doing in the first place? Wouldn’t it be, in a sense, taking law into one’s hands? It will, however, always remain a moot point whether professional demands should over-rule human sensitivities. Anyway, Zee Khabran and Punjab Today could have made the depiction of flaming tragedy less horrifying. When the award-giving season is on, can Punjabi television lag behind? Avid television viewers in the region must be aware that ETC/Zee Punjabi Music Awards, 2006, are due for announcement. Last year these were held on February 27 at Jalandhar. Often famous Bollywood personalities like Mahendra Kapoor, Uttam Singh, Bhupinder, Preeti Sapru, etc, have been part of the judges’ panel. The channel gives away a wide range of awards covering 25 categories. It applauds talented debutants even as it acknowledges the veterans’ contributions in different fields of music, be it Sufi, religious or pop. It also honours comedy albums. Malkiat Singh was ETC Punjabi’s star
of the fortnight. We got a glimpse of his initial struggle as singer and
various factors that helped him rise in his profession. On the sets of Caught
on Camera, he declared that he didn’t believe in astrology and
never wore any rings. This, when at least three rings were flashing from
his fingers! He must have presumed that he was on radio and not
television; drat these cameras! |
