Janam TV has no RSS or BJP backing: Priyadarshan

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 18 (IANS) Film-maker Priyadarshan Wednesday said Janam TV, a Malayalam channel to be launched April 19, is not being backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or its parent organisation Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS).

The noted filmmaker told reporters here that the objective of the channel, which will have news and programmes, is to promote nationalism and culture.

"Neither the RSS or the BJP nor any other political party is backing this channel... instead there are 5,000 share holders who have contributed to this new channel," he said.

Stating that his vast experience in the film industry is going to be used for the new channel's benefit, the ace director later told IANS: "I want the channel to be used for positive things as, of late, many of the channels are only projecting the negatives."

Already the state has more than a dozen TV channels, of which two have recently gone off the air following a financial crunch, while another two are facing serious financial crisis.

U.S. Krishnakumar, Janam TV channel's director, said that at the moment they are having a strong financial backing as the paid-up capital of the company has reached close to Rs.50 crore, which is the authorised capital of the company.

"Around 5,000 share holders have taken shares varying from Rs.25,000 to a maximum of Rs.five lakh. We are getting numerous people from various walks of life eager to support us," said Krishnakumar, a chartered accountant by profession and working in the UAE.

P. Vishwarupan, managing director of Janam TV, said that though they were the youngest among all TV channels, their channel would have the most state-of-the-art equipment.

"We are the first Malayalam channel which will be relaying in high-definition mode," said Vishwarupan, a non-resident Indian who has been in the UAE for nearly four decades.