DD to telecast episodes on famous authors' works

Chennai, Nov 15: Doordarshan will telecast episodes based on works of eminent authors, including Bharathiar and Ramalinga Vallalar, in 14 languages under its Indian Classics programme 'Katha Sarita' at an outlay of Rs 30 crore during 2006-07.

Addressing a press meet yesterday, Prasar Bharati Board Member Chitra Mudgal said while other channels were market-driven, Doordarshan, as a public broadcaster, was duty-bound to preserve and promote Indian culture, tradition and values.

As part of its efforts to preserve rich literary heritage in the audio-visual form, Doordarshan commissioned nearly 800 half-an-hour episodes under Indian classics in 15 languages including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam during 2005-06, she said.

A 'Core Committee on Indian Classics' chaired by Ms Mudgal picked the works after taking into consideration Sahitya Akademi Award winning books and those authored by winners of Jnanpeeth award.

Some eminent writers whose works were being featured under Indian classics from the south were Bharathiyar, Varadarajan, Ramalinga Vallalar, Rajam Krishnan, A K Ramanujam, Abdul Rashid, T Shivshankar, E V Krishnan Pillai, Prof S Shivdas, Kovilan, Narasimha Rao, Subba Rao, Ravi Shastri and Guntaru S Sharma.

Notable filmmakers Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Sivan, Girish Karnad, T S Narasimhan, Revathi, Janaki Viswanathan, Sanku, Saichand, Bhanumurti and Krishnaswamy had been roped in to produce the episodes.

Doordarshan Deputy Director General (South Zone) N G Srinivasa said 126 episodes would be produced in-house by 23 regional kendras.

He said all programmes would be made in the language of the literary work and later dubbed in regional languages.

As Doordarshan was guided by strict codes of Prasar Bharati, it was unable to compete with private players on a level-playing field.

However, it was able to register a record figure of Rs 1,200 crore during the last financial year ending March 2006, he added.

UNI