S Chandramohan “helped me get my views across”, PM Lee Kuan Yew.

 

BROADCAST GURU from Naval Base Khalsa Crescent, S Chandramohan was a pioneer of the broadcast industry in Singapore and over his career spanning five decades, he served in key executive positions in the industry, initiated and developed many current affairs programmes and nurtured several generations of broadcast journalists and documentary producers.

Near the start of his long career, he was the TV director of the historic TV press conference which revealed that Singapore had been forced out of Malaysia. His instructions to the cameraman resulted in the now famous image of Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s emotional moment on that historic day in 1965.

Chandramohan’s lasting legacy - the development of broadcast journalism in Singapore – was acknowledged and remembered when he died in August 2010, aged 71. Singapore’s first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew wrote: “He was most capable and helped me get my views across, first on radio, then on television, during all the years I was Prime Minister. He was highly intelligent and competent.”

His series of Documentaries were popular among Singaporeans and his techniques of dramatising  scenes and shots laid foundations for others to follow.

Of the coverage of Lee’s historical TV conference after Singapore was forced out of Malaysia in 1965. Lee noted: “I had to stop halfway because I could not control my emotions. He decided to show part of it. From the feedback I got, he made the right decision.”

Chandramohan joined the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation as a producer in 1962. As director of news and current affairs in 1980, he oversaw the production of Today in Parliament and many other significant public broadcasts. The working relationship between Lee and Chandramohan (known to his friends and colleagues as “Chandra”) lasted throughout Chandra’s career: During all the years Lee was Prime Minister he preferred to deal with a small pool of people whom he trusted. It speaks volumes that Lee trusted Chandra to communicate his perspectives to Singapore and international TV audiences. 

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong shared this trust of Chandra’s experience and guidance: “He distilled long, complex political debates into 45 minutes of watchable television and made sure they were coherent and balanced.

“I remember one studio discussion that had gone well, and overrun the targeted time. I remarked to Chandra that it would be hard to compress the material since all seemed relevant. But with his greater experience he replied that by looking closely at the transcript, he would identify sections to edit out, which would tighten and improve the programme. Of course, he was right. It was a pleasure working with him.”

It was no surprise then that his memory is treasured by various Cabinet ministers.

Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said: "My father and I have known him for many decades. We used to live nearby; he used to walk past our house. For me, I’ve also known him through my years debating and participating in various current affairs shows. He’s always been a very nice man, a good source of advice." 

He held key positions within the then Singapore Broadcasting Corporation, playing a pivotal role in the station’s programmes and driving award-winning shows such as Diary of a Nation.

He was also instrumental in the launch of Radio Singapore International in 1994. Said one of his former colleagues Tan Lek Hwa, former vice-president, English Current Affairs, MediaCorp: "He showed me everything from how to tell a story, how to peel the layers of stories and in fact, the most instrumental — it is how to manage national programmes. I feel very sad that he has passed on because I think we have really lost an industry giant."

Arun Mahizhnan, Special Research Adviser at the Institute of Policy Studies at the National University of Singapore, was a former colleague of Chandra’s. He had worked for him for 10 years in the Central Productions Unit.

Arun said: "Chandra was part of the first generation of pure breed of television journalists. He had no prior experience in the print or broadcast media.   He was completely new to media.  Yet, he demonstrated a grasp of the medium that was exceptional. He grew up with the medium and over time, mastered it. Of course, he had the benefit of being trained by the BBC, the aristocrat among English language television world then, and several other television gurus of that time.

“He strove for excellence and would not settle for mediocrity. He brought a level of intelligence and sense of aesthetics that were rare those days. He also laid the foundation for new formats, like documentaries, current affairs forums, and weekly magazines.

“I joined the Central Production Unit (CPU) partly because of him, even though I had other options in Radio and Television Singapore (RTS).  I wanted to train under him and work for him as I was much impressed by his reputation. It turned out be the best decision I made in my broadcasting life.  I learnt a great deal from him, was motivated to do my best and achieved considerable satisfaction in what I was doing.

“Contrary to many civil servants of that time, he did not stand on ceremony or protocol.  Everyone could call him "Chandra" instead of "Mr Chandramohan" the common practice of the time.  It also symbolised the way he treated his staff -- as colleagues rather than as subordinates. He was insistent that we have to keep learning from other sources -- as he was doing himself. He plied the staff with numerous articles and broadcast journals and frequently analysed foreign programmes with staff.  It was a great learning experience for me.  In effect, he was my primary television guru and writing coach.  He had a wonderful way with words and relished good writing.

“Chandra wanted our work to be as professional and excellent as the best in the business of television. While the content was restricted, the craft was not. I focused on the craft and Chandra was a great guru and guide in teaching me the craft.”

Ramesh Panicker, executive producer/writer, recalled: "Chandra was director of Current Affairs in the then Singapore Broadcasting Corporation when I joined the division fresh out of university.  His reputation as a broadcaster preceded him. I found him a serious, incisive, intense, intelligent man who produced great work - especially in the documentary genre.“

Panicker, added: “I was fortunate to see another side of him, long after I left the station. We got reacquainted after a chance meeting and kept in touch until his untimely demise. In that time I came to know the well-read, passionate, sentimental and witty Chandra."

Mrs Nirmala Chandramohan, his wife, remarked on the extent to which Chandra cared for his family. He was a devoted father to their children, Arjuna and Shankutala. 

“He was a filial son. Around the time we got married, Chandra let me know that it was important to him that we stay with his aged parents as he wanted to look after them. “He was a loving and kind husband,” said Mrs Chandramohan.   

His daughter, Shakuntala remarked that Chandra’s discipline and dedication to his work set a fine example for her. She remembers him working long hours during events such as the National Day Rally, his fine penmanship and his great attention to the detail. She has applied the same to her legal-financial career with significant success. 

Arjuna his son, was inspired by these characteristics as well as the great loyalty which Chandra inspired in the people who worked with him. Arjuna therefore tries to think of how Chandra would apply his leadership talents if he was still around.

Marc Dass, Chandramohan’s nephew, said, “Even now, when I watch the documentaries on Singapore politics, I remember what he shared and think what an influential and involved role he had as a member of the media in capturing the human elements that shaped and occurred in our country's history.” 

Jacinta Stephens, a former SBC /Television Corporation of Singapore (TCS), current affairs producer and documentaries editor, said “Chandra could be considered The Father of Broadcast Journalism here. He mentored and nurtured several generations of broadcast journalists and documentary producers – who are now all over the world. He brought to the profession an intellectual vigour and great passion.

“He was certainly a pioneer. He learned from the best in his day, at the BBC.  He was there at or almost from the start of Singapore's television days and was instrumental in shaping broadcast journalism as it evolved here. 

 “He was an intellectual through and through. Had a passion for books and documentaries and even after his retirement and through his illness, he would be reading several books concurrently and watching documentaries with a critical eye. With him will die a rich treasure trove of stories and analysis about Singapore, its leaders, its politics and its evolution. Personally, I will miss my mentor and the bright, rich and deep conversations. I am grateful for so much that he taught us.”

NB This is only a Summary 

By Nag, Abhijit. Inspirations of a Nation conceptualised by Alfred Dass.

Copyright c 2016 by World Scientific Publishing Co Pte Ltd for the Singapore Memory Project managed by National Library Board to celebrate Singapore’s 50^th Anniversary in 2015.

 Title: Vijian Nambiar

PS. The saying that:  Every Journey begins with a Pioneer fittingly describes Chandramohan.

 Alfred Dass whose first job was at Radio and Television Singapore (RTS) reception, remembers Chandramohan as The Master of Documentaries - the first TV Producer in Singapore whose prestigious BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) and Asian Broadcasting Union (ABU)awards adorned the entrance of RTS and which inspired generations of TV Producers. 

 Documentaries portraying artists like Chen Wen Hsi, Rathi Karthigesu, Sylvia McCully, Zubir Said and Sita virtuoso Ravi Shankar developed a huge fan following and viewers would rush home to catch them, which became the ‘Talking Point’ the next day!

One abiding lesson I learnt from Chandra as an 18-year-old was ‘not to accept a bad idea even if it comes from your superiors’. Naturally, such tenets can only come from  Civil Servants on par with the best brains and with a lot of gumption. Chandra had both.