There’s lots on our idiot box that can be taken to the cleaners. This doesn’t, and shouldn’t imply, that all is gloom and doom. The problem is that the cacophony of mediocrity often drowns out the very small number of voices of sanity (read: quality) that are trying to make a difference. One fine example is of a young man by the name of Iqbal Husain who does a regular documentary-like programme Sach Ka Safar on one of the channels.

This guy is doing a tremendous job. Every week, without fail, he comes up with a topic that directly relates to the masses and goes out with his camera crew to relevant spots and interviews the right kind of people, and not those who you see polluting the TV screen on a regular basis. His recent effort on the lives of those who live alongside or nearby railway tracks was an insightful work of documentary film-making, where he talked with those who had put up temporary settlements on both sides of the track at one of the railway stations in Karachi. Add to it his well-researched and read-out script and the considerateness with which he conducts the show, and you get a worthy piece of television programming.

Keep it up dude! Some day you’ll get your due.