Aapni Bapor: Women’s Empowerment Programming |
Fiction |
| Katputli: | A light hearted look at the serious subject of power equations between a husband and wife, where the husband is all for female liberation and the wife holds on to her traditional values. (13 episodes, from 10/10/02 to 2/1/03) |
| Satkatha: | This is a fictionalized account of true stories of women who have fought adversity and are on the path to empowerment. Many of them come on screen at the end of the fiction to talk directly to the audience about their struggle and their victories. The target audience was all women especially middle and lower income, as urban as rural. (10 episodes, from 30/1/03 to 17/04/03) |
| Neq Khatoon: | Set in a poor urban Muslim family, this serial traces the struggle of a girl to get educated even after a forced and early marriage and acute poverty. She becomes a lawyer, brings up a daughter to become a doctor in a single parent household and crowns her career by becoming Gujarat's first Muslim woman Chief Justice. (25 episodes, from4/8/04 to 19/1/05) |
Children's and adolescent issues |
| Amari Vaato: | Young adolescents produced their own show every week with the help of our team, bringing into focus issues that plagued or intrigued them, giving them a chance to explore the semi adult world they are entering. The groups belonged to leading schools from Ahmedabad like the Mahatma Gandhi International School, and involved many children from diverse backgrounds. The issues were wide ranging and those that appealed to children. (25 episodes, from 6/1/03 to 23/6/03) |
| Umbar: | (The Threshold) A programme anchored by two adolescent girls about issues that face them. The format included street interviews of adolescents, their teachers and parents, and a dramatized story of a particular problem, like eve teasing, pubserty, changes in physique and biology. (30 episodes, from 8/10/02 to 6/5/03) The programme was highly popular and was turned into a talk show called Umbar Chat Show. This show was hosted by Mallika Sarabhai and involved a live studio audience and experts from relevant fields. (22 episodes, from 13/5/03 to 27/1/04) |
| Amari Vato Quiz: | An inter school quiz involving 50 schools, this lively quiz tested the youngsters' knowledge of contemporary Indian women and their achievements and those from history. The questions covered women in law, politics, the arts, sciences, mythology, women's crafts, writers, social workers, women's laws and women's rights under the Indian constitution. (23 episodes, from 14/7/03 to 29/12/03) |
| Majha Ni Vato: | This was an interactive puppetry based programme to teach children about India's plurality through oral folk stories passed down within communities in different parts of India. (21 episodes, 26/7/03 to2/2/04) |
Information and Guidance |
| The Vidya Diaries: | This programme was based on Darpana for Development's project of the same name. The project worked in 8 city slums, with a group of 14 slum dwellers trained as actor-activists, who attempted to change attitudes towards girl children and adolescent girls. They used a variety of approaches from songs to forum theatre, following up with workshops and leading discussions. This show focussed on the forum theatre plays, the interventions of the people in the slum, their objections and problem solving mechanisms with short interviews with the activists handling the queries, and the slum dwellers who intervened to solve problems. (13 episodes, From 7/10/02 to 30/12/03) |
| Jatil Samasya: | A show that looked at non-government organizations working for women in various fields, to introduce them and the services they offered to women in need. (13 episodes, from 28/04/03 to 8/8/03) |
| Panhoche Nari Aabh Ataari: | Career counselling. Many girls are confused about what paths are open to them in a world where things seem to revolve around engineering, medicine or management for the guys and sewing and needlework for them. And yet there are many other options. This show gives them the information they require to suit their needs, timings and aptitudes, rather than be herded into traditional careers. (95 episodes, from 8/10/02 to 19/8/04) |
| Saawdhan: | This was a consumer education show aimed at the entire family but especially at women who often feel cheated and helpless when given a bad deal in the purchase of goods or services. It had products and services and humourously treated health and environmental issues as well. The target audience was primarily urban and semi-urban, users of goods and services.(38 episodes, from 9/10/02 to 18/6/03) |
| Cyber Safar: | A programme for the young and not so young urban and semi urban woman wanting to get IT educated and computer literate. The programme was structured around frequently asked questions and the daily common uses of the computer. (38 episodes, from 11/10/02 to 27/6/03) |
| Amaru Kaun: | Many women in India get duped out of what should be theirs because of a lack of information and understanding of what the law gives them. This is true in matters of family like divorce and separation as well as in property rights, inheritance and rights at the workplace. This show, partially using case studies as fiction and partially through interviews with lawyers gave this crucial information to women in a palatable and understandable fashion. (47 episodes, from 14/7/03 to19/7/04) |
| Amaru Kaun Chat Show: | Based on the original Amaru Kaun. This chat show had a studio audience and three experts form the field of law, the police and social work, with Mallika Sarabhai as the anchor. The audience consisted of people from all walks of life and from varied social and economical backgrounds. (22 episodes, from26/7/04 to 11/10/04) |
| Olakhiye Aapni Rasoi: | This is a cooking programme with a big difference as, in fact it is a programme on nutrition and health. Different women or speciality chefs are invited to share their special recipes, which are then analyzed by a vaidya or a nutritionist. Tips are give as to how the nutritional content of the food can be improved. Traditional methods of cooking are discussed and explained. Special lessons on cooking for ailments like heart disease, diabetes and jaundice are also shared. (132 episodes,1110/02 to 30/4/05) |
| Gruh Lakshmi Jane Dhan Lakshmi: | This is a programme which aims at making women in villages and cities banking literate. It explains all the functions of banks, the instruments of banking, schemes, types of accounts, facilities available and savings options. (12 episodes, from 26/8/04 to11/11/04) |
Inspirational |
| Jagruti: | Real life stories on "ordinary women" who get off the trodden path to carve out different careers for themselves, either breaking male stereotypes, or creating new niches. There are two women per episode from all over India. The target audience is both women choosing careers, and housewives wishing for additional incomes with flexi-time, rural and urban. (68 episodes, from 9/10/02 till 9/12/03) |
| Mohra Vagar Na Chehra: | Showcasing famous women in public life who share their vulnerabilities and problems with others in order to inspire them. This programme has covered many prolific women from the State. It also backs-up as a service to document the lives of these women. (132 episodes, on going from 10/10/02) |
| Vanitani Vandana: | using the popular music and storytelling form from Gujarat, the Dayro, this one hour programmes tells the tales of heroines from folk lore and literature, peppering them with current events and making them relevant to bringing women to levels where they become change agents. (82 episodes, ongoing) |
| Nidar Thayi Leader: | This programme highlights the lives and effective styles of successful women sarpanchs and the difference they have wrought in the lives of their villages.. The shows highlight the different concerns that women bring to political life and the difference in their priorities. (13 episodes, ongoing) |
| Sanjeevani: | This is a yoga and health programme addressing the special health needs of women. Introduced and guided by the famed yogi Swami Adhyatmanandji who has trained thousands of people in improving their health through yogic kriyas, the show has a young anchor who connects with the normal viewer in not being specially healthy or health oriented, giving them the encouragement needed to bring in the exercise habit. A second anchor gives tips on how to do yoga even during your working day or at the desk. (10 episodes, ongoing) |
Counselling and health |
| Aa Te Keva Saasu Vahu: | A programme on mother-in-law daughter-in-law relationships (the bane of our society) where they don't hate each other! An attempt at charting strategies to break the degrading myth that leads to so much violence. The programme talks to other family members, the husband, the father-in-law, the children and sometimes the neighbours as well, to find out the unique problem solving methods of each pair. (46 episodes, from16/7/03 to 26/5/04) |
| Navi Narino Navo Nar: | The new woman needs a new man to understand her and to be her partner. Who is this new man? What are his unique qualities? How does he cope with a critical and belittling society? And when did he learn to be a new man? This interview based show has Mallika Sarabhai interviewing the new man and his spouse, to understand the issues and advantages in order to encourage different and more open behaviour in more men. (23 episodes, from 9/2/04 to19/7/04) ongoing) |
| Manichowk: | This is a health, beauty and feel-good programme for the urban woman, especially in the smaller towns and cities. It includes medical advice, exercises, martial arts for self protection, nutrition advise, how to look and feel good. (120 episodes, from 18/8/03, ongoing) |
| Banva Chalyo Chho Mata Pita: | While our society accepts the training needs of all professions, however menial, one of the most essential and difficult tasks of humanity, that of parenting and bringing up future generations, is left entirely to chance. The result is the large scale unhappiness, distress, violence and angst caused between parents and children and the psychological and physical manifestations thereof. This programme, Anchored by Mallika Sarabhai, brings common issues and questions to experts - paediatricians, psychologists and educationists, for their views and guidance. What should a parent do when a child lies? How should a child react to favouritism? To a parent who is alcoholic? Adultery? How should a parent view the child not doing homework? Is hitting a solution?.... and many other such daily questions. (41 episodes, from 26/7/04 to 2/5/05) |
| Kathachalisi: | Menopause is perhaps the most underdiagnosed and large scale women's problem in our society. And yet its effects, usually easy to handle once diagnosed, can vary from depression and lack of appetite to suicidal tendencies. The programme was developed, in part fiction, part interview style, with a gynaecologist who runs menopause education centres across the State. (22 episodes, from18/10/04 to14/3/05) |
Music Videos |
| 30 music videos, put together with anchor links, five per half hour episode, on issues of gender, women's empowerment, communal hatred, literacy, the environment and functional literacy. Made for the Department of Adult Literacy, Ministry of HRD. |
Game Show |
| Ghar Gharta Ramta Ramta: | Once a week this was a game show played inside the homes of people. The contestants were married couples. The game included activity segments & quiz segments, including audio & video clues. The activities selected were such that an equal number of "typically male" & "typically female" activities were attempted by both contestants. The target audience was middle class urban couples. (29 episodes, from 7/10/02 to 21/04/03) |