Opinion Fighting back in time

102 Minutes,a History Channel production on CNN-IBN,had new material. A woman’s strangled voice as she saw the WTC crumple and crumble from her window: “Did the building just disappear? There is no second building,it’s gone!” An ash-covered man running from the collapsing towers: “Thank God,I’m 69 years old but I can still run.” Billowing clouds of dust hurtling down the streets after the collapse,chasing fleeing people; and then,scenes from ordinary life — except that the tap ran grey (ash) water,and people waiting for the lift as they did so many times a day were panicking this time,desperate to leave their building,in case it was the next target. Searing,harrowing,all the more so because there was no commentary — just the edited footage and you.

Asa reconstructions go,The Flight That Hit Back (Discovery) was realistic enough to be believable. The memories of parents,spouses,friends are rosy,lending a heroic hue to recollections of those who died on United 93 after successfully diverting it from its intended target. As you get to know some of them and hear what they said during that fateful flight,the eyes smart.

The commemorations on Sunday in New York,Washington,and the small town where United 93 crashed were equally touching,but far prettier. They were formal,staged affairs,but with moments of spontaneity as families hugged and wept and then collected themselves as they read out the names of those who had died. It was the unknown and unexpected,the chaos,and the very personal responses in 102 Minutes and The Flight That Hit Back that kept you imprisoned before the TV,when all you wanted to do was flee,like people had in New York ten years ago.

Some other characters are fighting back too: Dadisa and Anandi in Balika Vadhu. Dadisa is now a champion of women’s causes,so she masterminded the punishment carried out by Anandi to a group of loutish young men; she’s also developed a soft corner for the grown up granddaughter-in-law,Anandi,and begun to appreciate her. The serial is now very different from the original: it’s lost some of the spiteful sting it had earlier,but the sacrifice is worth it to see Surekha Sikri (Dadisa) in a more agreeable light.

Meanwhile,Phulwa (Colors) has grown up into a full-blown dacoit — like Phoolan Devi except far,far better dressed. Her clothes seem to be from the nearest crafts bazaar; she’s the epitome of ethnic chic. Just as you must dress up meat to make it look palatable,so a female dacoit must be an edible woman (shamelessly stolen from Margaret Atwood). Indeed,the entire cast is so designer in its clothes that it’s difficult to believe they know anything at all about things as distasteful as guns,blood and dangerous ravines.

So now we know. Doubts were expressed during his fast that Anna Hazare was on remote control (as he says the PM is),that words were put in his mouth by Team Anna,or they spoke for him. But Anna Hazare can speak for himself,and there is no ventriloquist controlling his speech. In simultaneous interviews on Tuesday to Headlines Today/Aaj Tak and CNN-IBN,Hazare spoke by himself and for himself on a variety of subjects. So there.

shailaja.bajpai@expressindia.com