Of women, by women, for women

October 23, 2014 05:09 pm | Updated May 23, 2016 07:32 pm IST - Thiruvananthapuram

Deepa, producer of the 'Sthree Dimension'.

Deepa, producer of the 'Sthree Dimension'.

Deepa, a veteran of the visual media, was baptised in the medium at a time when the communication space was opened up for private channels. Since joining Asianet in 1998, Deepa has worked before and behind the camera as reporter, producer and anchor. After leaving Asianet, this award-winning media person worked as an independent producer covering environmental and ecological issues and agriculture. Last year, she returned to take up an assignment with Asianet News. Producer of the recently launched ‘Sthree Dimension’, she has joined hands with her batch mate and friend, Vandana, to conceptualise a talk show for women and of women; a panel discussion that discusses mainstream issues and not gender-related issues alone. Deepa explains what it is all about…

The need for such a show

Women are so poorly represented in most discussions in the visual media. The mandatory women in such discussions are usually politicians. Moreover, women are generally invited to speak when the topic is related to gender or gender issues. Even then the women we see are the same talking heads in almost every channel. It is as if women, the ordinary women that we encounter every day, have no opinions at all on any mainstream issues. There are group discussions. However, the sheer number of participants prevent any serious discussion or analysis. It becomes a venue for arguments and counter arguments and there is hardly any in-depth analysis. We wanted to create a space where women could discuss events that were hogging the headlines. That is how the show was conceptualised. And there are just four guests on the show.

The anchor

Vandana is an experienced media person who thinks on her feet and has a way with words. She has a sense of humour and is able to get the panellists to open up and express their opinion. We work as a team, choosing the topics and guests who appear on the programme. She does the research on the subject and, like any good anchor, ensures that each person gets the opportunity to talk and that the discussions do not deviate from the topic.

Talking heads

When we began, there were doubts if we could get enough women to speak on topics related to politics, economics, health and so on. In addition, we wanted to avoid the faces that we have always seen on various panels. To our pleasant surprise, we were able to get plenty of articulate women from different walks of life. For instance, there was a research scholar who was able to give a very different perspective on the Jayalalithaa issue. She argued persuasively that the former Chief Minister was a symbol of empowerment for many women and that she should not be relegated to the margins of politics because she has been found guilty of corruption. Similarly, there were many instances when the women panellists impressed us with their clarity of thought and interesting takes on different issues. Instead of assuming that women could only talk about certain subjects, we were giving them the opportunity to air their views on current events and they were making the most of the opportunity.

Issues taken up for discussion

The programme is just four weeks old. During the period we covered topics ranging from education, politics, health and lifestyle. While one of the episodes discussed the stand taken by V.M. Sudheeran, president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, another analysed the Congress decision on Sashi Tharoor. Then there was an episode on the Jayalalithaa phenomenon, and also on the state of our schools. One feature that stood out was the language that was used by the panellists. It never went beyond the realms of decorum and even tricky issues were handled with sensitivity and sensibility.

The response

I feel it is too early to evaluate the programme. But the feedback from those who have seen it has been positive. Nowadays TRP ratings are important and I am optimistic that this show will make the mark.

‘Sthree Dinmension’ airs on Saturdays at 9.30 p.m. on Asianet News.

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