News Broadcasting
Qalam 2001 : Jill Misquitta Karma
The film begins with the funeral sequence of her husband (Lets call the woman Priya-in her early 30’s)
A train pulls out of long dark tunnel into the harsh sunlite. Priya is at a window seat.The landscape outside is slowly changing from cityscape to countryside allowing for flashbacks on route giving us glimpses of Priyas past
A troubled & violent relationship with her husband .their last quarrel before his untimely mysterious death.(Another woman in his life? his denial? She is not convinced- a woman has a way of knowing)– ambigious cu’s of details- (eg. a wine glass being stirred. its colour changing a drawer opens & shuts etc)
By sunset she has reached the farm land she has inherited. At first deserted & cobwebed then cleaned up and beautified.
Slowly depression gives way to joy as she begins to explore her new envoirment
The 1st morning of her walk ouside amidst the beauty of nature-she meets a very old man limping,beraggled derilect.In some strange way he seems to remind her of her father /grandfather and stranger still is that he seems to know episodes from her childhood some so private- it intrigues her.
Another day -another walk another person she meets just as unique, strange & awe inspiring perhaps a few more as each day passes
One specially beautiful morning she meets a young man-handsome, gentle friendly As they interact they disscover a mutual attraction However the young man is evasive
Another time it is a poet she meets (middle aged) he is chewing on a cactus-she too tastes of it it has its own strange effect hallucinatory
As they walk on ,he recites his poems full of philosophy or insights into life and its impossible questions.(what is eerie is that even though they have not stopped walking they seem to return again & again to the same spot)
Priya finds herself once more drawn to him in a disturbing sort of way
. And so the the episode continue-each time a new char is introduced and a new aspect of life unfolds.-
A fearful one is of her meeting with a stalker a terrorist- a chance for suspense & chilling Fear
Once more she meets the handsome young man-karma- each meeting drawing them closer-revealing intimate details of their lifes (at least-almost all)
Once she meets what seems to her a spiritual magician-he wishes to reveal to her a secret-he takes her to a cave(water always dripping like a room with a leaking roof) this is where he meditates. He calls it the wish fulling room. She reveals to him her distress & her extreme lonliness (her guilt/shame) he is touched by her pain- he is compassionate he says he can performe a miracle-he can give her a second chance in life-she will be able to relive the last day with her husband(now dead) Nothing will change he says -she says ‘she can change everything -redo -repair the damage. Can she? or is the damage irrepairable? A chance to explore fate, destiny- and the struggle for change-human growth.
Another character whom she meets a few times (besides the karma)is a heafty writer-a kind of ham crime writer who keeps her interested with his murder mysteries what is strange here is that his plots seem to recreate themselves(life immitating art) One by one the other chars we have met before(Poet, terrorist, guru) seem to be found dead in almost the exact situations that the crime writer has described his defence-he can predict- a writer is a seer
Now only the handsome young man karma & she are left alone on that deserted landscape.
One night (A Storm threatens)
In the distance – a little hillock a deserted horizion are seen the lites of just one lone cottage
Indoors in an attic is Karma before the mirror – he is speaking to himself through his monologues we discover he is a failed actor. He is putting on his make-up- changing his costume-transforming himself until he is almost unrecognizable.
Then he sets out on his walks again he meets Priya with whom he is testing out is skills with his impersonations.
Is karma falling in love with Priya or is he closing in on her? Is he a killer is it murder mystery a complex who done it-(he knows of her fortune)or a love story?
Is Karma discovering love?-learning to love? and thus is able to intrigate his many multiple personalities finally finding his true identitry as a lover & friend & Priya her lost love?
P.S. Lots of possibilities to complex to put down in a hurry in a few PS’s The film has shifting points of view.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 rolls out Battle for the States ahead of key polls
Multi-format election coverage tracks voter mood across five battleground states
NEW DELHI: CNN-News18 has launched a special election programming initiative titled Battle for the States, as India gears up for high-stakes Assembly elections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
Built around the theme ‘Road to Power’, the multi-format coverage aims to follow the entire electoral journey, from campaigning and polling to results and government formation. The network is leaning into on-ground reportage and data-backed storytelling to decode voter sentiment across regions where local issues often shape the narrative.
The programming line-up includes ‘Vote Tracker’, a three-part series developed in collaboration with survey agency Vote Vibe. The show blends survey insights with expert commentary and field reporting, using augmented reality graphics to present complex electoral data such as vote share, seat projections and leadership preferences in a more accessible format. It will air every Monday evening until April 6.
Adding a cultural lens to political reporting is ‘So Saree!’, a ground-driven segment where women anchors travel across constituencies dressed in traditional handwoven sarees from each state. The format uses attire as a storytelling device, highlighting regional identity while capturing grassroots voices.
Meanwhile, ‘Unfiltered Kaapi’ and ‘Chai-Niti’ bring a more conversational tone, drawing inspiration from everyday political discussions in tea stalls and coffee corners. These segments aim to break down key issues through candid, fast-paced exchanges between anchors and reporters, tailored to regional sensibilities.
For viewers seeking deeper insights, the weekend docuseries ‘Reporters Project’ takes a longer view, with correspondents travelling across constituencies to map voter concerns and political shifts on the ground.
“Elections are about people, their aspirations, identities and the issues that matter to them, and every state tells a different story,” said CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar. He added that the initiative focuses on understanding “the sentiment on the ground and what’s driving voter choices”.
Echoing the emphasis on credibility, Network18 CEO – English and business news Smriti Mehra said the network aims to combine on-ground reporting with data-led insights to deliver clear and timely coverage as the elections unfold.
With a mix of data, culture and grassroots reporting, CNN-News18 is positioning Battle for the States as a comprehensive window into one of India’s most closely watched electoral cycles, where every vote carries a story waiting to be told.
