Journalism of Courage
His deep husky voice and ever jovial smile are still pleasant reminders of the erstwhile charm associated with his television serial of the nineties- Surabhi. And as a documentary maker,television producer,and presenter,when Siddharth Kak gets down to talking about life during the ‘golden years’ of Indian television,a wave of nostalgia combined with a sense of tragic grips one. Perceived by critics and masses as one of the best television shows ever made that reflected the length and breath of the Indian culture,Surabhi was one of the benchmark shows of the nineties.
Kak however feels the time to rest on past laurels and glories is gone and the demands of the new world are not only diverse,but also fragmented. And that television as a medium is on the brink of a revolution that will redefine the way programmes will be seen and perceived in the future. It’s really illogical to expect something like Surabhi to make a comeback of sorts in the way it was shown in the nineties,says Kak,adding,Every generation needs a new grammar to teach them about the ethos and values of our rich and cultural past. So maybe if it came back as a game show on Indian culture it could be different.
Kak who was in the city at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) for a seminar on the ‘New trends in Television Programming and Broadcasting feels that television itself has undergone a change that is too diverse to be described in words. He says,When cable television came in the nineties and people feared that foreign channels like MTV and others would eat into the innate Indian mindsets,the television industry ensured that they were moulded in a way as to reflect the Indian viewpoint. In a manner similar to that,the television industry is going through a lot of changes yet again. Right from the fast blurring line between reality and fiction,to the way how news is shown on the various channels,everything is changing.
Kak also says that he is working on building a theme park in Navi Mumbai that will be an extension of Surabhi in the modern world. The Living Heritage Centre will feature a lot of virtual reality,imaging,and a host of other technologies that will help make it an interactive experience for the people. To put it in mildly simple terms people will be able to speak to history and more importantly be able to experience Indian culture on a much more real and interactive basis. That is what the entire concept of reinventing things in order to make it more palatable for the new generations is all about, he says.
Another issue that Kak feels will change the way television is seen in the future will be the internet. Picture this,in February this year,in the United States alone,close to 10 billion videos were seen on YouTube. And that’s not all,there are dedicated websites that offer a lot more faster downloadable content,including tele-serials with lesser buffering times,and all this is free. What this implies is that television channels will need to rethink their strategies as far as these serials are concerned. Besides I feel since television is getting more and more niche and fragmented and in the new world,options like mobile TV and interactive television will be the next big things. Besides technology will also allow for a lot of better programmes coming into the fray. And as they say bubblegum content will be phased out.
On the television becoming a more interactive medium Kak says that it will generate audiences that are more discerning and are also more demanding. Mediocrity will not be an accepted norm,I think. In fact what television will bring people closer and will dissolve geographical barriers. As they say,Geography will be History, he says,concluding on a light note.
