BBC on Trial Tailer Out: Pandit Satish Sharma's Documentary Sparks Debate on BBC Funding

New Delhi: The long-awaited trailer of the ‘BBC on Trial’ by author and scholar Pandit Satish K Sharma, which promises to expose British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) act of creating global division, has been released on Sunday (October 13). However, ahead of the release of the documentary sparked a heated debate regarding the international broadcaster's funding model. The documentary, which navigates through the intersection of religion and politics, has drawn attention to the BBC's long-standing funding mechanism. The documentary ‘BBC On Trial’ is set to release soon after the first trailer of the documentary, which was unveiled on Saturday. 

‘BBC On Trial’ promises to expose Western media bias especially the BBC against India and Hindus. Pandit Satish K Sharma, a renowned scholar and representative of Hinduism in Europe, has been at the centre of the debate, while his appearance in the documentary has raised questions about the BBC's impartiality and its handling of sensitive topics.

Pandit Satish K Sharma Releases First Trailer Of Documentary  

In a post on X, Pandit Sharma, wrote, “TRAILER Disinformation can be a weapon of mass destruction; Our documentary exposes the dark side of one of the most powerful players in this space, the BBC. At the end of this journey, you decide for yourself - good or evil? Watch the trailer, spread the word, join the movement. SHARE THIS WIDELY.”

Earlier on October 12, Pandit Sharma also shared the documentary's first poster and wrote, “BREAKING NEWS. The most eye-opening documentary of our time. Revealing the hidden truths about how the BBC has been creating global divisions for over 100 years. Coming soon! VijayaDashmi Greetings.”

After the poster of the soon-to-be-released documentary surfaced, critics argued that the BBC's funding model, which relies on a license fee paid by British households, creates a conflict of interest. They claim that the broadcaster is under the control of the British government and struggles to maintain its independence. Additionally, some have accused the BBC of promoting a liberal agenda and marginalising diverse perspectives against India and Hindus.

From the very past, the BBC has remained involved in controversies related to its coverage of India and Hinduism. For instance, the documentary "India: The Modi Question" sparked a ban in India due to its critical portrayal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's role in the 2002 Gujarat riots. The Indian government described the documentary as "hostile propaganda and anti-India garbage" and accused the BBC of promoting a "colonial mindset".

As the debate rages on, it remains to be seen how the BBC will respond to calls for reform including reforming the license fee model, increasing transparency, and promoting diversity and inclusion.

Pandit Satish K Sharma Speaks To Republic Media Network

Earlier last month, Republic Media Network’s Editor-in-Chief, Arnab Goswami , in an exclusive conversation with Pandit Satish K Sharma, talked about his upcoming documentary ‘BBC On Trial’ as the author and scholar delved into the world of Western media bias and its anti-India rhetoric.

With Pandit SK Sharma's expertise, both unravelled the threads of Western hegemony, revealing a complex web of deceit and manipulation.

The discussion centred on the need to reclaim media space with the Indic view, challenging the dominant Western discourse.

Pandit Satish K Sharma while speaking to Arnab said, “We are a very quiet community in the United Kingdom. The Hindu community doesn’t cause much conflict or trouble, but on numerous occasions, we have found that we have become the target. I was fortunate enough to be able to interact with the BBC at the highest levels, including the director, and general heads of all the departments. We presented our evidence to them but achieved nothing whatsoever in the last eight or nine years of interacting with them. We haven’t been able to successfully get to change, not even a single webpage which is published on the website.”