Television industry becoming money-making machine – Venita Coelho

Amritsar, Nov 5 (Punjab Post Bureau) – The Department of Journalism and Mass Communication of Guru Nanak Dev University here today organized an interactive session in the conference hall in collaboration with Majha house. Renowned theatre artist, Ms. Sanjana Kapoor, daughter of Lt. Shashi Kapoor and the author Ms. Venita Coelho delivered their lectures and interacted with the students. A large number of students and faculty members attended the programme.

                  Ms. Venita Coelho, who wrote many renowned daily soaps including, “Jassi jaisi koi nahi”, “Na bole tum na maine kuchh kaha” and “Trikal” said that students should not merely study to get the degree but should also follow their passion. She said that one should channelize emotions in the right direction so as to get the positive results. She said that if we want to bring any change then the first person we need to change is ourselves. She also narrated that how daily soaps can have a strong impact on its audience and the contemporary one’s are affecting the mindset of the people. She said that television industry is slowly becoming money-making machine and forgetting it’s main agenda that was to spread a social message.

                 Eminent theatre personality, Ms. Sanjana Kapoor from an illustrious Kapoor family of Bollywood said that though she likes cinema, it is not something she wanted to dedicate her life to. “Theatre has always been my love and I found my place in the world doing theatre,” she said.

              Sharing that she has inherited her passion and love for theatre from her grandparents from both sides, Sanjana said, “My grandfather Prithviraj Kapoor founded Prithvi Theatre in 1944 at the peak of his film career because it was his dream and he believed it to be the best way to reach out to people. She said that her grandfather loved to tell stories of farmers, social issues and then her maternal grandparents too came to India in the 1940s and performed English plays, the classics from Shakespeare to Bernard Shaw. She said that the Indian audience was the best in the world as it was attentive. She discovered her love for theatre while she was studying in New York.” She managed Prithvi Theatre for two decades and later co-founded Junoon, a theatre company that takes theatre to schools.

              Prof. S.S. Behal, Dean academic affairs while sharing his views said that this type of interactions need to be organized more for the benefit of students and faculty. He motivated the students emphasising upon the importance of out of university education. Prof. Kuldeep Kaur, Head of department of Journalism and Mass Communication welcomed the guests and students. Ms. Preeti Gill from Majha House detailed about the activities of the Majha House.