Television programmes for women are usually slotted to the sleepy afternoons of working days, when the target audience, the housewives of Kerala, stretch their feet and grab some TV-time for themselves. And catering to them are programmes that are a compilation of cooking demonstrations, where after some recipes, beauty tips, shopping deals, tips on interior decoration, child care and so on. some fun it's usually goodbye. However, ‘Koottukari,' a long running programme for women, on Doordarshan wears a different garb. K.R. Beena, Assistant Station Director of Doordarshan, and her team of producers, Mini, Lathamoni and Sheeba, share their experience of producing ‘Koottukari.'

To create awareness

It's a women's programme where guests are chosen across the spectrum of life in Kerala; right from celebrities and women in responsible positions in public life to unsung heroines. The guest is usually an expert in a particular field. Contemporary issues are included in the show. The programme is a podium to create awareness about welfare measures that exist for women.

Phone-in programme

It's a live, two-point interview with an added phone-in element. The guest handles phone calls from the public and converses with the anchor on her area of expertise. The audience gets the benefit of getting advice or clarifications from experts. Help could be just a phone call away.

Episodes

The programme first went on air on Labour Day, 2005 with Meenakshi Thampan. We literally combed the State for women achievers and brought them on the show one by one to an eager audience. The number of episodes has crossed the thousand-mark, and the programme, although not a daily one now, continues to interest the target audiences in a weekly episode.

Participants

We have an impressive diversity in our guest list. There is the usual list of celebrities. There have also been writers, poets, artists, architects, musicians, doctors, psychologists, advocates and so on. Their treasure trove of knowledge has helped the viewers a great deal.

By special arrangement with the Kerala Women's Commission we have partnered with several of their campaigns such as the anti-dowry campaign, and Justice Sreedevi, then chairperson of the Kerala Women's Commission, personally appeared on several episodes to share her expertise with the audience.

The show has also featured insurance agents and financial advisers on the show.

Memorable episodes

There are several episodes that turned memorable for various reasons. One was when an elderly lady called up during the episode featuring former senior bureaucrat Lida Jacob. The old lady was being ill-treated by her children. She used the phone-in facility to bring her grievance to the notice of the Social Welfare Department.

On December 19, 2007, in connection with the anniversary celebrations of ‘Koottukari,' we held a function honouring 11 persons from the State for their contribution to society. It included stalwarts such as P.T. Usha, Justice E. Fatima Beevi, C.K. Janu, Pamela Anna Mathew, Sugatha Kumari, K.R. Gowri Amma, Leela Menon, Nilambur Aysha, Ajitha, Sheela and Kalamandalam Sathyabhama.

There was a screening of short documentaries on their lives and they were presented with mementos designed by artist B.D. Dethan.

|||||| Thank you for your interest.||||||