Big Fight is Big Hype. Review on NDTV 24x7

I have watched a few episodes of the Big Fight on NDTV 24x7 and find the proceedings very strenuous and highly provocative. I find Rajdeep Sardesai to be a very emotional and highly charged anchor unlike many sober and mature anchors on other TV channels - national and international.

Earlier this week I was watching the 'big fight' over Shankaracharya's arrest and some of the statements that were made by Rajdeep were openly inflammatory and insinuating. He displays the unpleasant tendency of rushing through the panellists' comments, putting words into their mouths and taking sentences out of context. If the intention is to provoke people to behave at their abrasive best, then Rajdeep does this job very effectively.

Rajdeep runs this program like a Kangaroo court that summarily dispenses verdicts on issues that have yet to reach the courts let alone being under review by the judiciary. By clever manipulation of words and asking trick questions that he insists be answered with a Yes or No, he puts the panellists in a tight corner and gives them very little time to understand and respond properly.

Another point to note is the commercial interests that dictates the frequent breaks in a program that has a potential to let the common people participate in an open forum and bring forth views that rarely see the day of the light in parliamentary proceedings.

I wish for once, NDTV makes a program free of commercial breaks, with the clear intention of making it a socially focussed event and let it run uninterrupted for its complete 60 minutes or if required even 90 minutes so that every important point is made without being rushed or glossed over.

The Big Fight in its current format is at best a slanging match with the one who speaks the loudest managing to corner the limelight. Rajdeep comes first in this fight every time as he has the complete choice of when to interrupt a conversation and make his own conclusions with little regard to what the panellist actually said or meant to say.

I agree that many of the panellists speak without any conviction or have no clue on the seriousness of the issue under discussion and use the platform to sell their own party's ideology. This only shows that the choice of the panellists should be given a re-think and only those who are able to articulate well and know how to respect the format be given the opportunity to participate.

For instance, in last night's debate, the inclusion of a 'devotee' Mrs. Chakrapani had no impact on the proceedings other than provide some distraction as the lady was all at sea when trying to explain the devotees' view point.

I also have seen 'We the people' anchored by Barkha Dutt and find it refreshingly different from the way Rajdeep handles his panellists. Though much needs to be improved on the timing and to reduce the frequent commercial breaks in this potentially powerful programme, at least the anchor does not hog the conversation and force her views on the participants.

I trust I have made the point clear and look forward to seeing Rajdeep mellowing down and not becoming a part of the system that he so readily condemns.