I happened to see an interview of R K Laxman on CNN-IBN, today. The wit and brilliance of his answers made it a masterpiece of a show. The interviwer , a Ms Anuradha Sengupta, was so unlike rest of the CNN-IBN coterie. Her questions were reflective and intuitive. And moreover she seemed to be enjoying the intelligence of the legendary cartoonist. This was a follow up to the Indian of the year award function, where he was honored with a Lifetime achievement award.
Some bits that I relished (recollected from memory, may not verbatim) :
Interviewer : Your cartoons depict corruptness of politicians, lack of implementation of schemes , traffic jams and other such decadence. Is Mr Laxman a cynical man?
R K Laxman : Yes, I am a cynical man. I was born a cynic.
Interviwer: Don’t you have any optimism?
R K Laxman : no. Optimism is believing everything will be good. It only makes things worse.
Interviwer : Do you think the media of today, the papers and the TV channels give the common man a voice?
R K Laxman.: The common man will never speak. He is not interested in being heard.
Interviwer: Mr. Laxman, in today’s world, do you see yourself as a moral crusader?
R K Laxman: No. I don’t. There is nothing to learn from my cartoons. I simply want people to see the ridiculousness of some situations.I am no moral crusader.
Interviwer: Why?
R K Laxman : It is not my business.
Interviwer: Is Mr Laxman a difficult person to live with?
R K Laxman : Yes. I have my demands.
Interviwer: Like what? Do you need to be left alone?
R K Laxman: Yes. I like to be left undisturbed.
Interviwer: Do you give others such liberties?
R K Laxman: No. I don’t.I correct them.
Interviwer: Mr Laxman, you have double standards.R K Laxman : Yes. I do. Its good to have double standards.
R K Laxman’s satirical sketches have always been succinct and right on target. Some of them are gems to be framed. It was a rare treat to savour a sample of the Uncommon mind behind the Common Man.
P.S : Do try to catch it, if there is a re-run, or if it is available on the web. A must watch.
Update: The transcript of the interview can be found here.
Showing posts with label Visual Media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Visual Media. Show all posts
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
In a spot ! But a bright one, I'd say...
If I say that I was greatly upset with India's loss to Bangladesh, I'll be part of the blue-billion-brigade. If I say, I was a little bit relieved, I would be quartered, hanged and countless unimaginable things done to me, by some of the blue-billion - given what possibilities are being talked about and put out on Woolmer's death. But I was a bit relieved !!
The past month has been bordering on insanity - every other channel - news, views, regional, sports, and anything in between or far-out worth its salt and pursuit of TRPs had a cricket program with a so-called expert handling queries from anchors, who has just refreshed on and beginning to understand Pathan is not the same one as Imran Khan. It was overwhelming cricket overload. And an overload of bewildering rubbish - aided by sponsors and advertisers competing for viewer's eyeballs; and letting people know that the Indian team traveling to Windies are world beaters and have a great chance of winning it, aided by sound-bytes from our decent captain and media-savvy coach. It doesn't matter that man-for-a-man, there are three or four teams ahead of us - Australia, South Africa and possibly NZ and Sri Lanka (in spite of their loss to India at home). If India does make it to the next round and beyond next round, it would be on the shoulders of a few. But if they do, I shudder to think what kind of trash we would be served. For that alone, I wish we make an quiet exit. A huge loss of revenue to the sponsors and the channels. However, I think it would go a long way in restoring some mental balance and certain lucidity - cricket is just a game that can be enjoyed for the cricketing skills on display and not just on the colors alone !
So heres to a quiet exit from the World Cup and a possible bright spot - And heres to getting back to our regularly scheduled programming of Liz Hurley's-Arun Nayar's wedding; now, I call that fascinating viewing !!!
___________________________________________________
ps: My own SF line up - RSA vs NZ & Aus Vs SL; Final RSA def. SL. ;)
The past month has been bordering on insanity - every other channel - news, views, regional, sports, and anything in between or far-out worth its salt and pursuit of TRPs had a cricket program with a so-called expert handling queries from anchors, who has just refreshed on and beginning to understand Pathan is not the same one as Imran Khan. It was overwhelming cricket overload. And an overload of bewildering rubbish - aided by sponsors and advertisers competing for viewer's eyeballs; and letting people know that the Indian team traveling to Windies are world beaters and have a great chance of winning it, aided by sound-bytes from our decent captain and media-savvy coach. It doesn't matter that man-for-a-man, there are three or four teams ahead of us - Australia, South Africa and possibly NZ and Sri Lanka (in spite of their loss to India at home). If India does make it to the next round and beyond next round, it would be on the shoulders of a few. But if they do, I shudder to think what kind of trash we would be served. For that alone, I wish we make an quiet exit. A huge loss of revenue to the sponsors and the channels. However, I think it would go a long way in restoring some mental balance and certain lucidity - cricket is just a game that can be enjoyed for the cricketing skills on display and not just on the colors alone !
So heres to a quiet exit from the World Cup and a possible bright spot - And heres to getting back to our regularly scheduled programming of Liz Hurley's-Arun Nayar's wedding; now, I call that fascinating viewing !!!
___________________________________________________
ps: My own SF line up - RSA vs NZ & Aus Vs SL; Final RSA def. SL. ;)
Sunday, January 28, 2007
News and Views
Early yesterday evening I was walking down my street after running an errand. The watchman of the Doctor’s house who usually lounged under the shade of the Gulmohur tree was sitting upright, in rapt attention. He was listening to the radio. The 7-o-clock news on AIR. The stentorian voice of the newsreader rattling out one news item after the other with unchanging intonation. That the watchman should shed his indifference and show uncharacteristic interest in something as staid as AIR news amused me.
I remember the days of my growing up, when my father, and all the other fathers of the neighborhood would shush the whole household into silence to listen to the English news on Doordarshan. A calculative burglar once broke into an elderly spinster’s house, during the news time slot, when the whole street was engrossed in the programme.
The average man’s awareness of current affairs was much higher than what it is now. Even with the advent of cable television, where news occupied a fixed portion of the air time, the tradition of not missing the evening news prevailed. Tamilnadu, in particular, where bi-partisan politics rules the roost, saw the warring factions launch their own TV channels, fiercely competing to present lop-sided news, only solace being that one got to see two sides of the coin, although not the whole. The milder and more neutral DD, and its regional tributary, lost their prominence to the flashier newcomers. News now featured special reports, and reporters scanned the remote villages to come up with stories of the ruling party’s lapses, or victories (as the case may be).
The accuracy of the information provided by the news telecasts, was a major but largely ignored causality in this melee. When the revolutionary element was introduced which had daring reporters belting out “scoops” that brought out the “whoops”, news was getting “created”. But still, the discernment of the viewer was allowed to thrive.
In entered the news channels. 24x7x365x eternity(?). The perennially rolling news recaps at the bottom of the screen, competing with another row of share prices. Specialized business news channels. Insights. Cover Stories. Special Reports. Experts speak. Scoops, whoops, more scoops and less whoops. Live reports. FLASH NEWS. Talk shows. Walk shows .BREAKING NEWS (breaking what, besides the viewer’s sanity?) Exam countdowns. News now is just a flip away. Catch it while it happens. Catch it even before it happens. Ash and Abhi engaged? Ash and Abhi engaged ! What does Big B ‘s 3rd standard benchmate think about it ? Ash and Abhi doing pooja to please the stars next month, and exclusive on the preparations.. Will Shahrukh match Bachan? KBC-part II, hit ya miss ?. Big Boss, who will win ?. Lets put a toss. What will be the outcomes of the toss ? Heads or Tails?
When amidst all this “informative” and “ inventive” reporting, something actually happens, the news hungry channels fight over it like common canines at the street bin. Every news channel must run the same story. Make TRPs while the heat is on. If possible, chop the forest down to add wood to the fire. If channel A (I don’t want to mention names, as it is pointless, and there is hardly any differentiator beyond the name.) brings in a Psychologist from NIMHANS, channel B brings in a psychologist from AIMS. The same panel of experts, doling out the same mind numbing “lay-manized fundae”. These news analysis shows lack the incisive intellect that the same people like Pranoy Roy, and Karan Thapar were capable of exhibiting a decade ago. CNN-IBN’s Rajdeep Sardesai, who was once a charismatic newscaster is now hardly more than a street performer, entertaining the masses to up the ratings. Opinion Polls. Sms your opinion to 1234,6868, @%&*. When the masses are fed with such hogwash for information, one shudders under the weight of their “esteemed opinion”. The analytic individual is reduced to the red eyed bull. Lashing out at the slightest provocation. Or the bored slug. One who flips between the news channels, hardly registering what he has heard or seen.
Issues that merit an in-depth discussion are tugged here and pulled there, and distorted out of proportion to knock the reason out of anyone. The media attempts to doctor public opinion. A dangerous phenomenon, indeed. News channels highlight a particular issue only if it would earn TRPs. Others are doomed to the morgue. The fellow channels follow suit, not to be missed out in the rat race. No one cares to present “information”, as is. The sanctity of reporting is lost. This profession that claims the right to question the moral standards of every walk of life, barely acknowledges its own ethics, apathetic to the decadence plaguing it. People are asked to vote for news. “My news” is what I want to hear. I have the liberty to be blind and deaf to the rest. What a new dimension to freedom of choice!
And Ah, yes. There is this talk about blogs being the fourth estate’s fourth estate. And where do we assume the bloggers get their news from ? Do they go on-spot to gather their news ? Or do they syndicate with Reuters or AFP ? Websites featuring news items, give an outline or a sketch, barely sufficient to form an opinion. Print Articles are yet another story. But the average blogger generally rants and raves about an issue. Facts are hardly discussed, and if they do, their veracity is questionable. We hardly find a moderate voice. The popular ones (featuring in Desi Pundit or PutVote) scarcely seem to differ from the “public opinion”.
Last week, the media affairs column The Hindu’s Sunday magazine featured an article on media watch in the US, especially during the reigning Bush regime. Our own channels which turn west for “creative inspiration” ought to note this.
Doctored and inaccurate reporting can mis-shape the face of the world and dictate the way history gets written. Its time our media becomes conscious of this.
I remember the days of my growing up, when my father, and all the other fathers of the neighborhood would shush the whole household into silence to listen to the English news on Doordarshan. A calculative burglar once broke into an elderly spinster’s house, during the news time slot, when the whole street was engrossed in the programme.
The average man’s awareness of current affairs was much higher than what it is now. Even with the advent of cable television, where news occupied a fixed portion of the air time, the tradition of not missing the evening news prevailed. Tamilnadu, in particular, where bi-partisan politics rules the roost, saw the warring factions launch their own TV channels, fiercely competing to present lop-sided news, only solace being that one got to see two sides of the coin, although not the whole. The milder and more neutral DD, and its regional tributary, lost their prominence to the flashier newcomers. News now featured special reports, and reporters scanned the remote villages to come up with stories of the ruling party’s lapses, or victories (as the case may be).
The accuracy of the information provided by the news telecasts, was a major but largely ignored causality in this melee. When the revolutionary element was introduced which had daring reporters belting out “scoops” that brought out the “whoops”, news was getting “created”. But still, the discernment of the viewer was allowed to thrive.
In entered the news channels. 24x7x365x eternity(?). The perennially rolling news recaps at the bottom of the screen, competing with another row of share prices. Specialized business news channels. Insights. Cover Stories. Special Reports. Experts speak. Scoops, whoops, more scoops and less whoops. Live reports. FLASH NEWS. Talk shows. Walk shows .BREAKING NEWS (breaking what, besides the viewer’s sanity?) Exam countdowns. News now is just a flip away. Catch it while it happens. Catch it even before it happens. Ash and Abhi engaged? Ash and Abhi engaged ! What does Big B ‘s 3rd standard benchmate think about it ? Ash and Abhi doing pooja to please the stars next month, and exclusive on the preparations.. Will Shahrukh match Bachan? KBC-part II, hit ya miss ?. Big Boss, who will win ?. Lets put a toss. What will be the outcomes of the toss ? Heads or Tails?
When amidst all this “informative” and “ inventive” reporting, something actually happens, the news hungry channels fight over it like common canines at the street bin. Every news channel must run the same story. Make TRPs while the heat is on. If possible, chop the forest down to add wood to the fire. If channel A (I don’t want to mention names, as it is pointless, and there is hardly any differentiator beyond the name.) brings in a Psychologist from NIMHANS, channel B brings in a psychologist from AIMS. The same panel of experts, doling out the same mind numbing “lay-manized fundae”. These news analysis shows lack the incisive intellect that the same people like Pranoy Roy, and Karan Thapar were capable of exhibiting a decade ago. CNN-IBN’s Rajdeep Sardesai, who was once a charismatic newscaster is now hardly more than a street performer, entertaining the masses to up the ratings. Opinion Polls. Sms your opinion to 1234,6868, @%&*. When the masses are fed with such hogwash for information, one shudders under the weight of their “esteemed opinion”. The analytic individual is reduced to the red eyed bull. Lashing out at the slightest provocation. Or the bored slug. One who flips between the news channels, hardly registering what he has heard or seen.
Issues that merit an in-depth discussion are tugged here and pulled there, and distorted out of proportion to knock the reason out of anyone. The media attempts to doctor public opinion. A dangerous phenomenon, indeed. News channels highlight a particular issue only if it would earn TRPs. Others are doomed to the morgue. The fellow channels follow suit, not to be missed out in the rat race. No one cares to present “information”, as is. The sanctity of reporting is lost. This profession that claims the right to question the moral standards of every walk of life, barely acknowledges its own ethics, apathetic to the decadence plaguing it. People are asked to vote for news. “My news” is what I want to hear. I have the liberty to be blind and deaf to the rest. What a new dimension to freedom of choice!
And Ah, yes. There is this talk about blogs being the fourth estate’s fourth estate. And where do we assume the bloggers get their news from ? Do they go on-spot to gather their news ? Or do they syndicate with Reuters or AFP ? Websites featuring news items, give an outline or a sketch, barely sufficient to form an opinion. Print Articles are yet another story. But the average blogger generally rants and raves about an issue. Facts are hardly discussed, and if they do, their veracity is questionable. We hardly find a moderate voice. The popular ones (featuring in Desi Pundit or PutVote) scarcely seem to differ from the “public opinion”.
Last week, the media affairs column The Hindu’s Sunday magazine featured an article on media watch in the US, especially during the reigning Bush regime. Our own channels which turn west for “creative inspiration” ought to note this.
Doctored and inaccurate reporting can mis-shape the face of the world and dictate the way history gets written. Its time our media becomes conscious of this.
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