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“The world
is a book and those who do not travel read only a page:” Saint
Augustine
The
inquisitive man always wishes to read every page of the great book-the
world itself. This is the reason why the term ‘Sancharam’ (Travel) has
attained such a wide popularity.
Who doesn’t like to visit the different countries in the world and
have a direct glimpse of the various civilizations... the remarkable
features of Nature, the relics of history, the lifestyles of the
people and so on?
All of us are eager to get a direct experience of these spectacular
sights that we have only heard of. But most of the people are not able
to visit each country and see these things close for themselves. It
is such a situation wherein ‘Sancharam’, the visual travelogue, serves
a historical and significant purpose.
Idea
I must present the world to the common people on the TV- this was the urge
that arose in my mind as a visual media journalist. People are
used to reading travelogues. But then, the reader merely gets an
imaginary view of the things described.
However, the visual travelogue ‘Sancharam’ provides the viewer with a
direct experience of each place.
Through ‘Sancharam,’ I aim at enabling the viewer to have an
experience similar to witnessing things on the spot. Now I claim to
have achieved a certain amount of success in realising this aim. Today,
‘Sancharam’ has become one of the most popular television programmes,
and it has a viewership of millions of people. Sancharam has lived
up to their expectation. This is the simple reason behind the grand
success of the programme ‘Sancharam’.
The Beginning
It was in the year 1997 that I started my globe-trotting. The
first country I visited was Nepal. I travelled through Kathmandu, the
capital city and other main cities as well as villages with a heavy
camera. The ‘Sancharam’ (Travel) through this Himalayan country was
really enjoyable and encouraging. The next journey was to the
Maldives, another neghbouring country. I copied the images of the
capital city of that Island nation and its enchanting natural beauty
and also its surrounding islands.
Then it was to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand that I conducted
my tours. I went on visiting countries one after the other. I had by then
covered about Seventy Four countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, North America, South American Continents and Antarctica within a span
of 15 years.
Amazing Sights
I had already presented innumerable amazing sights from the different countries of the world through ‘Sancharam’. The Great Wall of China,
the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Nazi Concentration Camps of
Germany, the Kremlin Palace and the Red Square of Moscow, the Leaning
Tower of Pisa, the Colosseum of Rome, the Buckingham Palace of London,
the historic city of Petra in Jordan, the Ice Palace on the top of
Mount Jung Frau in Switzerland, the Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawala,
Sri Lanka, the Wildlife Sanctuaries of Kenya, the Cape of Good Hope in
South Africa, Ground zero in USA, Palmyra the ancient city in Syria are a few of them.
The lifestyles of different nations, the dietary habits, dress codes
and art forms of the people there, the panorama, the transportation
system, education, agriculture and tourist spots of those places are
all depicted beautifully and genuinely in ‘Sancharam’.
I opted to have a variety of conveyances like cycle rickshaws, motor
cycles, taxis, horse carts, vans, cars, buses, trams, trains,
airplanes, boats and ships for travel through different countries.
I voyaged through the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean
Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the Baltic Sea. I also
sailed through the historic rivers such as the Thames in London, the Rewa
in Fiji, The Nile in Egypt, the Volga in Russia, the Danube in Hungary
and the Saigon in Vietnam. I still continue my 'Sancharam' through
those lands yet undiscovered.
Creates History
I have been doing this globe-trotting all alone. I neither carry a
wide range of equipment nor keep company of technicians to assist me.
I carry out all the shooting single-handed. My earlier experience with
cinematography was an added advantage in my endeavours. I had always been
alone in my journeys in pursuit of rediscovering the world and
presenting them before the viewers of ‘Sancharam’.
On Television
The Asianet News channel has been telecasting ‘Sancharam’ from 2001
onwards. It is being telecast at 10.30 am on every Sunday.
Hi-Tech Studio
The post-shooting work is carried out in a High-Tech Video Editing and
Recording studio, which I own in my place. The state-of-the-art
technology for editing, and other advanced software and devices ensure
the quality of the product. The mass production of Sancharam CDs is
also undertaken in this studio.
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