Give us a simple story. Not a complex, layered story.
A famous Bollywood actress, now a successful TV soap producer, said this to us years ago, to my then co-writer and me, after we had pitched to her a story for a TV serial. “People want a hero they like and identify with and a villain that they hate. Don’t give us shades of grey, give us black and white.” I remember coming back from the meeting disappointed, angry – and a bit disillusioned about the whole business of storytelling.
It took years for me to realize that she was absolutely right. People are moved by simple stories. Stories of love, of sacrifice, of evil versus good.
Life, however, is not that simple. Nor is any story that is true to life. We are complex creatures. Each one of us has a good side and a dark side. Therefore, telling a simple story is hard – harder when the subject itself is complex and layered.
Climate crisis is one such subject. Both climate activists and the skeptics have some pretty strong arguments to make. The activists – largely ignored until they gained mainstream popularity with Al Gore’s famous 2006 documentary, An Inconvenient Truth – cite science-backed data and evidence to say that the world is staring at a catastrophe, already unraveling as we speak. And that governments and corporations must act, and act now.
The other side puts forth equally rational arguments – at least the ones that I’ve heard – that any measure to combat climate change should not be drastic. It should make economic and social sense. Technologies like LED, renewables, electric mobility, and using recycled waste could do more in combating climate change than clamping down on industries without providing support or a sufficient time for transition to the affected.
Climate change, therefore, was a pretty complex story, one that was not simple and therefore compelling enough to move or inspire people. Then an erudite, 16-year-old Swedish activist gave an angry and emotional speech at a 2019 UN Climate Action Summit. “How dare you,” she thundered to wide applause from an audience comprising hundreds of world leaders.
The issue of climate change has never been the same since. Here was a little girl, who was able to encapsulate the complex issue of climate change into a simple story – a story where old people, for their immediate interests, were sacrificing the future of the young. This was a powerful story, one that resonated across countries, cultures, and generations.
Last fortnight, we added our small bit to this story. Through our podcast platform, Makers & Movers, I got to discuss the subject with two powerful influencers from two significant sectors – automotive and electronics, both of which are playing highly important roles in combating this challenge. Mr. Ajai Chowdhry, HCL Co-founder, and Mr. Sanjay Khare, Board Member and VP – Sustainability, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt. Ltd shared with us insights on a whole host of initiatives that their organizations and sectors are doing in this direction.
It was a riveting discussion, and we want to continue contributing to this powerful, compelling story through our publications and online properties.
Editorial By – Aanand Pandey, Editor Dynamic Manufacturing India.
E copy Link for the magazine – https://www.machineinsider.com/january-february-2022-edition/
