SIGHT & SOUND
Malgudi Man remembered
Amita Malik

I am very glad that at least one channel devoted a long, detailed programme to R.K. Narayan, one of the first Indian writers in English to get international recognition, on his 100^th birthday. I met him rarely but found him so modest, so warm, always with a gentle smile that one almost expected him to be around for longer. And the tribute was paid by a channel which does not make as much noise as the other pushy ones but puts in solid, if quiet, coverage, particularly in sports.

It could not have chosen a better raconteur than N. Ram, Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu, who was a close associate of R.K. Narayan and has done steady and solid research on this much-loved writer. Ram gave us detailed reminiscences on the author, his personal life, his lifestyle and his attitude to writing. He also presented a chronological account of his evolution as a writer. To add to the pleasure, we were taken back to the making of Malgudi Days, which Doordarshan screened at prime time during the writer’s lifetime.

We were given shots of the small modest house and the village which doubled as Malgudi for the film. The actor who played the small boy Swami, now grown up, also appeared in the programme and gave us an amusing insight about how he played the role. I am sure many viewers saw the serial on TV. It was a great tragedy that soon after its completion, its brilliant young director, Shankar Nag, died in a terrible car accident which spared the child who was sitting with him but severely injured his wife Arundhati. It is a pity no one thought of interviewing Arundhati, who now plays a major role in the cultural life of Bangalore and is extremely articulate. But all the same, a big shabaash to Headlines Today, which apart from veteran anchor Chetan Sharma, also has the quietly consistent Alka Jacob, who does interviews with quiet confidence and solid homework.

I am glad the electronic media is keeping up its dogged pursuit of the two epidemics raging through the country. It helps keep the authorities on their toes. Cricket, of course, will be with us for some time and one has said pretty much all one can say about its coverage. I would, however, like to mention one of my favourite cricket commentators, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan. He makes less noise than other cricket commentators, his use of language is impeccable, he offers good description, expert comments and, to add to everything, has a quiet sense of humour. He had not played as much cricket as the other commentators which is perhaps why he keeps his own personality out of it and is strictly objective while giving his individual views, which are always interesting.

I began with literary programmes and I will end with them. I think the Indian media, if not the slightly patronising London media, covered Kiran Desai’s Booker Prize with the right blend of affection for a young Indian and admiration that she had made it. I loved the interview with her aunt in Kalimpong, where she has written parts of her book and wish that the TV channels had also covered it, like the print medium.

I would also like to comment on TV’s most consistent book review programme Just Books covered single-handed by Sunil Sethi. Sunil is well-read, hardworking and has a good command of language, although I prefer him on radio. What I find off-putting is that he talks as much as, and sometimes more than, the author. An interviewer is only supposed to stimulate the author into giving particular views. He often forestalls what the author has to say by telling all there is to say about the book and the personal and professional life of the author.

For instance, in the interview with Mahasweta Devi in Frankfurt, he left little for her to say about Hazaar Chaurasi ki Maa although I presume he has read the book. She had no option but to agree. The same goes for the camera, which gives as many shots of the interviewer as the author, which is not done. Both these intrusions should be avoided because it is a very well-intentioned programme and I am well aware of Sunil’s undoubted talents in this field and I certainly wish him well.