Poor, dear Noor. Poor Noor’s parents. When they boarded the Lahore bus and arrived in Bangalore seeking a cure for the girl’s ailment, little did they realise they were actually there to mend Indo-Pak fences. According to the media, the successful operation to repair the holes in her heart may plug the gaps in our relationship, too. The electronic media delighted in Noor, staying close enough to monitor her every heartbeat. NDTV 24x7 virtually adopted the child and no one could have been happier for her than Vikram Chandra on Tuesday’s 8 o’clock news. He was positively beaming as if he had personally performed the day’s operation that gave her what Dr Shetty called ‘‘a happy heart’’. Chandra’s joy may be forgiven a few factual errors. He told Noor’s dazed parents the girl had ‘‘caught the heart of most Indians’’. That’s way over the top but what’s a few hundred million in a good cause? Chandra’s exultation continued into Friday’s Question Time India (BBC World), where he hoped that Noor’s heart would beat for Pakistan — and India. Now, if only doctors ran governments. Or TV anchors. Someone needs to run DD News more efficiently, especially if Prasar Bharati is serious about re-launching a news channel. The 8 pm bulletin carries more news than bulletins on any other channel but it also has more errors. As a matter of routine, anchors and correspondents are not on speaking terms due to technical glitches, but there are more elementary deficiencies. Language, for one. Last Wednesday, the day Nitish Kumar derailed the Samata Party with his resignation from the Railway Ministry, the DD News anchor asked his ‘live’ colleague, ‘‘Lalchand, what is the real situation now?’’ Did he mean the ‘‘situation’’ was not ‘‘real’’ before or was he suggesting the entire episode was unreal (in which case, he’s a daring young man)? Framing a story is another. A story on the Nanavati Commission’s visit to Ahmedabad showed us men seated behind a table (presumably the Commission) conversing with other men (presumably the public). Then, one unidentified gentleman spoke: the position is this — the government has appointed a commission.to go into Godhra incident and after.(unclear). let the government tell the Commission.(unclear)— and let (unclear)..defend. If you can glean any meaning from such a report, please apply for a job at DD News. Immediately. Someone needs to have a word with Manoj Raghuvanshi (Khulla Manch, Sab). It’s not merely that he encourages the most extreme (and obnoxious) views to be expressed on his current affairs talk show; it’s not merely that he, himself, voices biased, unfair generalisations (Islam destroyed temples — momentarily, you wondered who was ‘‘Islam’’ and why we hadn’t studied about him in our history books). And it’s not just that his programme does everything possible to deepen the communal divide (Noor, dear, where are you?); it’s that Raghuvanshi makes one see red. On account of his blindingly bright saffron kurta (does he wear his heart upon his sleeve or are we making biased, unfair generalisations?). Also, Mr Raghuvanshi’s moustache, though a very nice, black oblong moustache, reminds you of that chappie in The Great Dictator, what’s his name? Oh yes, Charlie Chaplin. Someone needs to have a word with Raghuvanshi, preferably his barber. Lastly, a recommendation. Absolutely everybody loves, no not Raymond or Star World, but Astitva (Zee). That is everybody who has watched it, watches it and has impeccable taste and good sense. Without fear of exaggeration or contradiction we can say it is the best Hindi drama series on TV. It is everything the others are not: sensitive, real, moving and quiet. It doesn’t scream at you, it doesn’t beat so hard, your heart is thundering, it doesn’t rotate 360 degrees each time there’s a crisis. It simply tells the story of a doctor (Simran) who marries a photographer (Abhi), 10 years younger than herself. Last week, she discovered his involvement with another, younger woman (Kiran). She didn’t rush to the temple and scold God for not giving her Ram for a husband, nor did she pull out a gun and shoot him dead (roughly what happens in the Kyunki’s. and Kahani’s.). No, she became visibly upset, argued with him, locked herself in their bedroom and finally, packed her bags. Don’t miss it.
