The Hindu : New Delhi News : Showcasing genius on screen

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Nov 17, 2007
ePaper

New Delhi

New Delhi

Showcasing genius on screen

Madhur Tankha

Photo: Anu Pushkarna

League of the extraordinary: Siddharth Nagarajan, actor Konkona Sen Sharma, Nischal Narayanam, Tathagat Avtar Tulsi, National Geographic Managing Director Nikhil Mirchandani and Raghav Sachar in New Delhi on Friday.

NEW DELHI: Exploring the mind of individuals with extraordinary abilities is National Geographic Channel’s brand new series titled “My Brilliant Brain” premiering on December 10.

An amalgamation of special effects, photography, computer animations and neurological experiments, the series will showcase some of the world’s biggest phenomenal geniuses. It will try to unravel whether people with extraordinary mental abilities were born with it, developed them accidentally or acquired them through learning.

Bollywood actor Konkona Sen Sharma, who is the narrator of “India’s Geniuses” that showcases four Indians and their incredible stories, was in Delhi on Friday to speak about the series. “I must confess that I am an avid watcher of National Geographic Channel. It stands out among channels as it focuses on a host of issues concerning mankind, planet, animals and life in general in comparison to other channels that are focusing on Bollywood. So this series will be a refreshing change. I got an opportunity to interact with four fantastic people. It was a humbling and fascinating experience for me to know how their mind works.”

Episode “India’s Geniuses” will feature Siddharth Nagarajan from Hyderabad, Nischal Narayanam from Hyderabad, Tathagat Avatar Tulsi from Bangalore and Raghav Sachar from Mumbai.

Observing that the country was going through an intellectual revolution, Nikhil Mirchandani of National Geographic Channel said the series was a celebration of the incredible powers of the human mind. “We have extended it beyond the on-air showcase that includes innovative online and on-ground activation to provide a wholesome experience to our viewers.”

In the episode “Born Genius”, a seven-year-old classical concert pianist Marc Yu will be featured. Delving deep into the minds of savants is “Accidental Genius” that shares the story of one man who suffered a serious brain injury that released a manic talent for painting that he had never known.

“Make Me a Genius” profiles Susan Polgar, whose unique education early in childhood shaped a supreme ability to play chess, making her the world’s first female chess grandmaster.

Tathagat Avatar Tulsi, who shot into fame when he graduated at the age of 10, said although he doesn’t have a photographic memory he had a good conceptual understanding of physics. “I want to work on quantum computer for the benefit of civilisation. I want to develop a computer for the 21st Century that will make us understand our nature better.”

The series will be on till December 21.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail