On Tuesday, the ongoing PSBT Open Frame Festival (September 11 to 17), which usually focusses on showcasing films about crimes against women and life in conflict zones, broke away from tradition to acknowledge and commemorate Doordarshan’s 50 years in broadcasting.

A panel discussion between PSBT trustees like filmmakers Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Shyam Benegal, Mrinal Sen and actor Sharmila Tagore took place in the presence of Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ambika Soni. It was in turns nostalgic and occasionally brutal about Doordarshan’s future survival in the face of competition from cable and satellite channels.

“There is much to mourn that the state public broadcasting has not entirely fulfilled its role of being the voice of the nation,” said filmmaker and PSBT trustee Rajiv Mehrotra to a surprisingly packed hall at Delhi’s Habitat Centre.

From its beginnings at a non air-conditioned one-room studio in Delhi in 1959, Doordarshan is now one of the largest broadcasters in the world. It now operates 19 channels, accessible to 90 per cent of TV viewers in India. The 50-year celebrations, which began with a concert by A R Rahman, will continue with special shows through the year. “We have commissioned The Golden Trail, a programme on the story of Doordarshan’s journey in India,” said S M Bakshi, director-general, Delhi Doordarshan.

Eminent jurist Fali Nariman, also a panellist, reminisced about the early Doordarshan days. “I met a Malaysian journalist who told me their press enjoyed full freedom as long as their stories didn’t upset anyone,” Nariman recounted. “Our press is free and the state broadcaster has to play the role of opposition by constantly questioning the government.”

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