Indian broadcasters, particularly those dealing in news and current affairs, fall so woefully short of creating enduring, and substantive content beyond parading frothing talking heads talking at cross purposes. It is a criminal waste of airwaves, particularly when more often than not semi-literate fools are given so much time to mouth off.
Apart from the familiar alibi of ratings and TV channels commercial viability there are several reasons for the complete absence of well-researched, well-produced, well-shot, well-edited documentaries. The primary reason is a near total absence of professionals with any substance themselves. They lack in not just historical perspective but serious reading, let alone possessing creative imagination.
No one should be surprised that day in day out bowlfuls of bile is offered as substance by hard-charging ignoramuses who call themselves news anchors. It is a pity that not one network finds it worthwhile to invest in at least one hour of serious, credible and yet thoroughly captivating documentaries of the kind I just caught on DW (Deutsche Welle) channel, the German public broadcaster.
I refer particularly to a two-part documentary ‘The Renaissance - the Age of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci’. Rather than me describing what it is about, let me use their following synopsis:
“Beginning at the end of the 14th Century, the Renaissance created a new type of man, triggering economic, scientific, technical, religious, social and cultural developments that are unique in history.
Never before have culture, economics and science developed so rapidly within one century as during the Renaissance. But what was the catalyst for it, what is the "Renaissance factor"? The Renaissance is an epoch unique in human history. Never before have art, culture, economics and science developed so rapidly within a single century.
We search for the "Renaissance factor", that combination of influences that triggered a pivotal period in history. It is a journey through time from Ancient Rome to the Crusades and the Black Death in the 14th century, events that defined the developments of the Renaissance. We travel with Michelangelo to the major construction site that was to become St. Peter’s Basilica, to the banking houses of the Medicis and the workshop of Johannes Gutenberg.
We examine some of the many innovations of the Renaissance such as linear perspective, the printing press and double-entry bookkeeping. We ask what these achievements mean to us today and how - almost half a millennium later - we continue to benefit from the "Renaissance factor." And we delve deeper with the help of spectacular reenactments and our "special investigators" - modern-day trendsetters, scientists, business tycoons, fashion designers and artists.”
It is a slick production, smoothly narrated and wonderfully shot with just the right amount of CGI and charming re-enactments.
My despair in the Indian context comes from the fact that India has such a rich history over several millennia that could be offered to viewers of all ages. Considering that a great deal of animation work and CGI for Western productions now happens in India, the same human resource could be deployed to capture the country’s civilizational richness. I am, of course, not holding my breath for someone to do this.
