Vulgarity or Reality: Language Debate of Dalan, Teleserial

By Harsha Man Maharjan

Nepal television is showing a telefilm about state-led oppression of dalit community, Dalan. Jagan Media Centre made this telefilm which is directed by Nabin Subbha.

I don’t remember seeing any Nepali telefilm which gives real picture of history. It relates how higher caste people utilized state policies to oppress dalit community. In other words how state assisted in oppressing this community.

In telefilm sector, many people are praising the telefilm. We have high hope about the teleserial. The telefilm team did research of Nepal’s history to make it and donor community did huge investment for it. Number of its fan club is rising day by day.

Lately, its language has come under criticism. In its previous edition (Year 8. No. 52), Nepal magazine has criticized its vulgar language. The magazine thinks the language has astounded general people and it is worth censoring.

In today’s edition (Year 8. No. 53), Purna Singh Baraili, producer of the telefilm disagrees with the magazine and informs that he feels no uneasy watching it with his family.

Now question comes: is the language too vulgar? I don’t think so. Actually this kind of language adds reality to the presentation of real life of dalit community. I appreciate it.

From Jagran Media Centre

JMC is currently broadcasting a 25 episode television series illustrating the life, suffering and upliftment of three generations of a Dalit family called Dalan. Dalan is being braodcasted every Sunday 8:40 PM from Nepal Television. The purpose of Dalan is to create awareness among Dalits and non-Dalits alike and encourage a change in attitudes and behaviors toward Dalits. JMC has applied a participatory approach to the writing of Dalan by utilizing intensive discussions with Dalit scholars, writers, activists, film critics and journalists.
Shot entirely in the remote villages of Parbat, Baglung and the periphery of Kathmandu, Dalan presents a very realistic picture of Dalits life and history from 1950 to 1995 A.D..
Directed by Navin Subba (of Numafung) and aptly scripted by Aahuti, a renowned litterateur and Dalit activist, Dalan has become a work of art.

photo from Nepal magazine

http://www.kantipuronline.com/pNepal/article.php?&aid=5

Self Promotion through Tito Satya

In media there is role of promotion and advertisement. We hear about tie-up between film producers and products like cars, watches etc.

I have no knowledge on this kind of deal in Nepali media sector.

But what I have seen on two issues of Nepali comedy serial Tito Satya.

Earlier Deepa Shree Niraula hums a part of a song film, Sundar Mero Naam. Yesterday we see Deepak Raj Giri tolerates pasting the poster of the film on his car for the protagonist is similar with him.

Deepak Raj Giri is main actor of the film. I don’t know why he used his telefilm to publicize the film.

Link about the film
http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/detail.php?article_id=4642&cat_id=10

Mainstream Nepali Media Mum on Kantipur Ownership Row.

By Harsha Man Maharjan

Issues of media rarely become news. That’s why many Nepalese could not believe what they heard and read on 7 August 2008. The news was about break-up between Sirohiya and Gywali family, owners of Kantipur Publications and Kantipur FM. It also informed that Gywali has left Kantipur Publications and Kantipur FM.

I came to know about this issue on 7 July 2008 from Sanghu with byline of Deepak Adhikari and and it has being doing following-up from that day without bylines. My friend from Kantipur informed that Sambodhan too did coverage on the issue. Few Nepali blogs also covered on the issue.

At last the news came in host media on 7 August 2008.

On 7 August, both Kantipur and The Kathmandu Post published news on change in ownership of Kantipur Publications and Kantipur FM. Now Gywali family is out from these publications and FM. Capatain Rameshwar Thapa has entered the team.

Many people believe that many journalists will leave Kantipur and TKP to join new publications by Gywali family.

Why this issue was not news for other mainstream media? Why did they not carry this issue though they had knowledge of it? We speak of plural media. Only due to this we come to know about activities of rival media but Nepalese mainstream media kept mum on the issue. Only few weeklies dared to do this.

Does it imply that they have unwritten alliance not to divulge wrong activities inside these media houses?