As Mother Teresa became talk of the town, in newspapers and magazines she drew more media attention. BBC London also learnt about the charity work done by a blue bands saree clad nun. The details of Mother’s achievements impressed and amazed BBC bosses. So, Malcolm Magridge was assigned the job of shooting a documentary on Mother Teresa.
But Mother refused to oblige saying that her work was for God and not for publicity.
The bosses of BBC approached the Cardinal of Westminster Church of England. The Cardinal listened to pleas of the BBC people. His reaction was positive. He thought the publicity would brighten up the image of church. He requested Mother Teresa to allow BBC to shoot documentary. He argued that the noble work of Missionaries of Charity deserved to be told to the world to inspire more such efforts.
Mother Teresa had to agree unwillingly.
Malcolm descended in Calcutta with his crew.
Mother asked Malcolm to shoot Nirmal Hridaya the Home for uncared for sick people. That home was the real birth place of the service to the most suffering by Missionaries of Charity.
The cameraman reported that the inner room of the Home had too little light for shooting. The arc lights were not arranged for. But those very rooms represented Mother’s real service. The rooms sheltered old, sick, terminally ill, cripples and orphan children. Malcolm was pressed for time.
So, the outer rooms and exterior sections were shot. The crew found that too much of unused film still was on the roll. The camera man suggested, “Let’s shoot the inner rooms just to used the film. It will go waste anyway.”
Malcolm agreed. The inner sections in semi-darkness were shot. Malcolm and the cameraman thought that it was a wasted effort. Nothing of usable quality was likely to show.
Mother Teresa refused point blank to reshoot.
When the film was developed in BBC lab in London everyone was in for big surprise. The images of the inner rooms had come out excellent surpassing the quality of the shots of exteriors. Malcolm could not believe his eyes.
Mother Teresa remarked, “Where there is love, mercy, service and compassion there is God. God is Himself light, the brilliance of which illuminates all spaces.”
Malcolm Magridge became Mother’s disciple and took part in charity works. He also wrote a book on Mother Teresa entitled ‘Something beautiful for God.’ Malcolm was a non-believer in God but after encountering Mother Teresa he became a faithful of power Supreme.
That documentry was later screened at UN Assembly Hall where the secretary General of UNO said, “Mother Teresa is the most powerful woman of the world.”
The screening was followed by a mass prayer for peace by all the delegates.
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