Opinion Unequal to the task
The disparities,and depravities,of news TV.
Ratan Tata,poor man,had no idea when he murmured polite disapproval of Mukesh Ambanis little 27-storey refuge to a Sunday Times reporter that he would unleash the worst of all possible consequences: an episode of Face the Nation on CNN-IBN,Indias Best Presented Popular News Show,at least in the opinion of its subtitle. (Every time I see that subtitle,I am reminded of the way some restaurants display awards on the wall that,when you get closer,have so many qualifiers that theyre rendered meaningless: Best Classical Southern Mexican food in North-west Delhi among places open late on Tuesday evenings.)
Obviously,we will expect a Debate. We expect well-meaning,concerned people on one side Mani Shankar Aiyar,Vimlendu Jha and Subhashini Ali and on the other,someone ineptly trying to defend conspicuous consumption. Of course,when the sole representative of the conspicuous-consumption side is Suhel Seth and hes turned up in white khadi,and he piles into the rich for not having a semblance of sanity or having their conscience in order,you begin to wonder whether there was ever the slightest chance of a real debate if a question has been framed such that everybody wants to be on one side of it. At some point Sagarika Ghose laid out the supposed point that everyone else on the programme was disagreeing with: this is the just the first decade of liberalisation; in this first decade,those who have made money should celebrate their wealth. This is,we were told,the argument of some economists. Eh? Which ones? Or should one just assume something like that would be said by economists mean,dismal fellows although its a fascinating moral position and nothing to do with economics?
On this episode,though,the opening graphics alone were worth the price of entry. (I watched it online for free.) Mukesh Ambanis Antilla which really deserves more TV time,it looks like a bunch of folders piled haphazardly on top of each other,or possibly a large filing cabinet with a back problem led it off,with the thumping drama of FTNs theme rousing us to indignation in the background. Then there was a clip of Mukesh; and then a sudden shift to one of Vijay Mallya surrounded by cheerleaders. I definitely felt indignant at that point,but thats because TVs obsession with cheerleaders does that to me. (Listen,IPL: those slow-motion cameras have been given to you for careful coverage of stumpings and run-outs. Can you stop focusing instead on cheerleaders bouncing,with all your one-minute replays of a single bounce?)
Breakaway then to a random picture of two girls,possibly rich and famous,dancing in what looks like a club; and then one of the Chatwal wedding,which was of course unimaginably over-the-top unless youve ever seen a Punjabi wedding,in which case its quite easily imaginable. Rich Behaving Poorly? the titles asked. Yes,those plutocrats better not dance and get married and stuff,otherwise CNN-IBN might unleash its disdain. Or,worse still,its bad puns.
And then are you ready,people? a sudden shift away from the heartbeat-of-indignation thumping,a shift to tinkly,treble piano notes. The colours of the Chatwal-wedding images suddenly fade to monochrome. Ah. You know what to expect: a reminder that CNN-IBN has so much heart that mere words cannot express its heart-ness,but Richard Clayderman and sepia tints might. The visuals are heartbreaking enough ordinary pavement-dwellers,people looking like those that most of us pass without noticing too often,every day but that wont be satisfying enough,will it? No,people! Lets overproduce the opening segment instead! One wonders if they hired the guy who did Chatwals wedding video,who must have picked up a thing or two about overproduction. And the final,booming question: Should Indias Rich Flaunt Their Wealth?
Then Indias Best Presented starts with Ghose informing us that Montek Singh Ahluwalia is complaining in that well-known neoliberal outlet,Economic and Political Weekly,that the media tends to exaggerate disparities since they like to show both extreme poverty on one hand and extreme wealth on the other. He must have watched and changed his mind completely,eh?
mihir.sharma@expressindia.com
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