National broadcaster Doordarshan has refused to stream Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) founder Sir Syed Ahmed Khan’s (1817-1898) biopic on its OTT platform, Waves, although it has been released by an OTT platform internationally. The film, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan: The Messiah, was unveiled recently on the University campus by AMU vice chancellor Naima Khatoon.
In a letter to production house Dark Horse Productions, Prasar Bharati’s programme executive has said, “I am directed to inform you that your proposal offering programme(s) based on Sir Syed Ahmed Khan could not be qualified for telecast/stream under Revenue Sharing Mode (RSM) on Prasar Bharati’s OTT platform.”
Producer Shoaib Chaudhary laments that a serial he had produced for Doordarshan ran for one of the longest periods in DD’s history but now, his biopic on Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, a leading reformist and educationist, had failed to qualify. He accused DD of refusing his proposal to please its political masters.
The film, based on Sir Syed’s biography, Hayat-E-Javed, depicts Sir Syed’s struggles to found Mohammedan Anglo Oriental (MAO) College which later (in 1920) became AMU, and his efforts to inject scientific thinking among Muslims. It is believed that the biopic can remove many misconceptions and inspire new generations to make education a tool of progress. Sir Syed had once said, “Hindus and Muslims are the two eyes of the beautiful bride that is India.”