Close encounter

THE SECURITY guards outside the venue look about with their alert eyes scanning every person who pass by. As you walk into the auditorium, a stiff looking fellow stops you. "Invitation, madam?" You identify yourself but meanwhile, one of the organisers makes a sudden appearance and whisks you inside the hall. Well, wondering what's happening?

The venue was the Image Auditorium, Adyar and the 'happening' ... the 'shooting' of an episode of "Question Time India", a politics-based programme aired on BBC World and produced by NDTV. Anchored by Prannoy Roy, the panelists include the Tamil Nadu Law Minister Aladi Aruna, Jayanthi Natarajan, TMC member, Dr. Maitreyan, AIADMK's spokesman and Rasheeda Bhagat, journalist. The topic for discussion? You guessed it right, Tamil Nadu politics!

About five questions were pre-determined but the rest of the discussion was spontaneous. The motley crowd that comprised about 280 people, (they announced that it was "a record") seemed happy to be 'facing the arclights' perhaps for the first time.

Managing the crowd, explaining the rules of the game and entertaining them was Anusuya, the 'compere of sorts'. She kept the audience occupied with her witty remarks. And then Roy took over. Testing the mikes, he chatted with the audience (he called it a 'warming up process'!) keeping them in splits. Somebody in the audience suggested that a film star should have been there on the panel. Immediately, Roy pointed to Ms. Natarajan and said "She could have been a film star!" This continued for about ten minutes and then silence descended to Anusuya's loud and clear "stand-by and action".

The most obvious issues that one expected as part of the discussion were the Rajkumar kidnapping drama and Jayalalitha's recent conviction. The hall came down when Aladi Aruna tried to justify the Tamil Nadu Government's stand on the Rajkumar issue. Questions such as "Will Veerappan be captured or let go scot- free"? left the Law Minister very uncomfortable. The show was shot in one hour flat, without any retakes! Interesting, indeed!

However, at the end of it all, one was left with the feeling that though the public got a chance to grill politicians in an uninhibited manner, the time allotted was not sufficient enoough to have an in-depth discussion on any of the issues. Also, one begins to wonder if such shows have an impact on politicians and their ways of working. Will things really improve?

But, I suppose that is what television is all about!

SAVITHA PADMANABHAN

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