National 8 (Spotlight Weekly)

Challenge To Retain Popularity

A popular satirical show faces challenges in the coming days to keep the fans spellbound by competing with programs from half a dozen Nepali TV channels

By THAKUR AMGAI

There is a saying in Nepali, "Truth is always bitter." But when it is added with the flavors of comedy and satire, it becomes extremely sweet. That is what is happening to "Tito Satya (Bitter Truth)", a satirical half an hour program aired from the Nepal Television every Thursday evening.

In less than a year, the program has become very popular among the Nepalese audience. Viewers across the country, particularly in places where NTV is the only source of visual information, wait impatiently for the program every week. "Although, we do not get enough time to watch Television, we do not miss Tito Satya," said Bharat Khadka, of Dhading, who uses solar powered TV sets back in his village.

Deepak Raj Giri, a well-known comedy artiste, is the leading actor as well as director of the satirical serial. His team of Tito Satya includes lead actress Deepashree Niraula, who has worked with Deepak for the past 11 years, Nirmal Sharma, a film producer and a comedy artiste, Gopal Nepal (fiste), a young popular comedian. Other regular artistes are Gopal Adhikari, Purna Thapa, Munal Ghimire and Kamal Bhatta.

The program, presented with humorous gestures and incisive comments, throws sharp satires at the political and social activities going on in the country. In fact, it has not left any field untouched from its incisive eyes. From the issue of husband-wife relationship in a typical Nepali family to the negotiations in forming the government, the program has covered activities of all sectors and presented them in a humorous manner.

Through Tito Satya, ordinary Nepalese take pleasure in taking a swipe against the political leaders and other figures of society.

After basking in the glory of popularity for a year, it now faces the challenge to retain the fame and provide newer concepts.

In a country where reality resembles theatrics, making a mockery in a way to make people laugh is not an easy task. On the other hand, getting ideas for a comedy show is not too difficult. "Our respected leaders have been so considerate to us that they always perform one or the other activities that are funny and speak without thinking flooding comedy artistes like us with issues," says Giri. Probably this is the reason why comedy artistes are doing a good 'business' at a time when the whole entertainment industry is affected due to the economic slowdown.

With many comedy programs being aired from various TV channels home and abroad, it is quite clear that 'Tito Satya' has challenges ahead to maintain its popularity. Giri claims that the program has to compete with itself (its previous programs). However, it has both responsibility as well as challenge to introduce concepts to warn and guide the national politics and society in the days ahead. With newer concepts and humorous contents, the serial can overcome the ailment of monotony that is bound to affect it.

The team members, artistes as well as the crews, claim in unison, that the popularity they have attained is a result of their hard work and sharing of ideas. “There is no hierarchy in our team," said Krishna Jung Karki, a lights man. Supporting Karki's statement cameraman Basanta Rupakheti says, "Sometimes I suggest the dialogues and sometimes our other crews suggest the shot. We have good co-ordination in our team."

Running a satirical show in a state-owned media is itself no ordinary task. "Tito Satya" itself has bitter (tito) experiences of being censored when it went overboard in making a mockery of the government. “But we have ways to protect ourselves from being censored. We follow the ethics of satire by not attacking any one directly,” says a shrewd and cautious Giri.