Mark Tully on his return to TV Why are you doing Sony's election coverage?
I was interested in being involved in the coverage of elections. I've always felt that Vinod Dua is entertaining as also informative. So, I asked him if he was interested in doing a show with me, and he agreed.
What will the division of work be like on Chunav Chunauti'98?In the pre-election phase, my contribution will be minimal. Vinod will be handling the show from the studio, while I will be the reporter outside the studio. However, during the counting period, both Vinod and I will be co-hosting the show from the studio, together.
What will the focus of the programmes be?Right now we have a person talking to politician X and then to Y. We are trying to avoid that and broaden the canvas. The shows will not only have interviews with political leaders. It is also going to be about the problems facing democracy, what is the people's understanding of democracy and what their
expectations are. Also, we will be looking into issues and not just state-wise politics.
How different will your show be from the others?Well, it will be much better.
This time you will not be reporting the elections for just an international audience. How do you feel doing it for an Indian audience?With an international audience one cannot assume the same level of understanding of the situation. A major attraction in the foreign media will be Sonia Gandhi. While we will pay attention to her, we will not go overboard with it.
Any early predictions?I feel that all the surveys that have been conducted so far are slightly premature. This is going to be a difficult election to read. It is not like the old-fashioned ones where it was the Congress versus the rest. It is not that simple this time.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
