'Bharat Ek Khoj' DVD launched, Dasmunsi promises spl discount

New Delhi, Jun 27 (UNI) Shyam Benegal's immortal TV serial 'Bharat Ek Khoj' based on the 'Discovery of India' written by Jawaharlal Nehru would be made available in schools, colleges, libraraies through DVD, and the government would give a special discount on its purcahse.

Announcing this here this evening, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said he would be talking to the Minister for Human Resource Development to implement the plan.

The Minister was speaking at the launch of the DVD of the TV serial teleast by Doordarshan at a function also attended here by Mr Benegal and Mr Om Puri, who acted in the serial and gave a voiceover.

''Mr Benegal, you have got a lot of awards in he film industry, but the service you have done to the new generation by encapsulating the 5000 history of India in the TV serial is invaluable,'' Mr Dasmunsi said.

He said serials like Bharat Ek Khoj, made in 1988-89, would leave behind many programmes telecast on private TV channels, if there were meters in every home to measures TRP.

He also used the occasion to exhort the TV channels to behave in a more responsible way and show the stuff meaningful to the society.

''Do whatever you want to increase your TRP, but earmark some slot for programmes like Bharat Ek Khoj,'' he said.

The Minister said he had called a meeting to discuss the TRP issue on july 10.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Benegal said while making the 53-episode serial, their effort was to tell the history of India as it should be told, and there was no better person than Nehru who should be followed for that.

Mr Om Puri while introducing the serial, described it as a historical achievement of Mr Benegal and the Doordarshan.

He said the project was a very difficult one from every the point of view, especially of art direction, as ambience of different historial periods had to be created.

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