Sunday, November 25, 2001		Television

STRETCH your imagination and suspend your credibility. Once you’ve done that then switch on to Kabhii Soutan Kabhii Sahelii Monday to Friday at 3.30 p.m. on Star Plus. This is a story of two friends, Tanushree and Sonia who come from families with extremely opposing views on how to bring up daughters and what values to imbibe in them.

Though they’re the best of friends, Tanushree has been sheltered from the outside world by her family while Sonia has been exposed to the ups and downs of life as her father believes in preparing for any hardships that may befall her.

And now comes the incredible twist. Tanushree and Sonia unknowingly end up getting married to the same man. It’s a marriage of deception. And once the shock wears off, the two, instead of hating each other, decide to gang up and plan revenge against the man who has ruined their lives.

With the amount of serials they are making, Balajit Telefilms and Ekta Kapoor seem to be losing out on sensible scripts resulting in soaps that give you a sense of deja vu — seen one seen all!

It’s all about the common man made so famous by R.K. Laxman. But, though his characters may have inspired the satire, the renowned cartoonist has nothing to do with Office Office, Monday to Wednesday on Sabe TV at 8 p.m.

This spoof on corruption and inefficiency in the bureaucracy revolves around an ordinary Indian, Mussadilal, and the travails he has to face just to survive. Though narrated in a satirical way, the serial is a biting comment on the ways of dishonest government officers.

Whether it is at a police station or the municipality, electricity or water departments, it would appear every official has been appointed to create problems and then exploit common Indians like Mussadilal played brilliantly by Pankaj Kapoor.

The rib-tickling reality comedy has already won the Screen Videocon Award, RAPA Award and Ashirwad Award. One of the most popular programmes on Sabe TV — thanks mainly to the immensely gifted Pankaj Kapoor — the serial is now being telecast thrice a week though there’s a demand to make it a daily show.

In case you’ve missed this satire on Indian babudom, tune into Sabe TV Monday to Wednesday 8 p.m. and you will relate to it instantly.

Melody has been king — and queen — of Hindi cinema. Be it the lilting voices of Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammad Rafi or the immensely hummable songs of Kishore Kumar or Asha Bhosle, music has made and marred Hindi films.

Back in the golden era of cinema, stars like K.L. Sehgal, Suraiya, Ashok Kumar and Kanan Devi sang their own songs. The trend soon gave way to the concept of playback singing and Hindi film music was transported into an entirely new world. A new generation of singers led by Lata and Rafi became national icons as they ushered in the glorious era of Hindi film music.

Sony Max re-lives the musical milestones of Hindi cinema as it takes a trip down memory lane in Caravan being aired every Tuesday at 8 p.m.

Anchored by the immensely gifted Rajeshwari Sachdev, this is no run-of-the-mill song-and-dance based programme. This is a collection of the best 100 Hindi film songs from the fifties to the melodious eighties. The songs have been selected by no less a people than lyricist Gulzar, Asha Bhosle, music directors Pyarelal and Ravindra Jain.

Rajeshwari takes you back in time and talks about all that went into making of that superhit song laced with facts and trivia. This is a programme meant for the true lovers of Hindi film songs. Once you tune in, chances are you’ll be hooked forever — that is, till the programme lasts.

In these times of falling TRPs, the only shows that spell success are the mythologicals. Whether it is the tales of Goddess Durga or Ganga, feats of Hanuman or Lord Shiva, religious epics guarantee high viewership that translates into advertising revenue.

Which explains why every channel is so eager to cash in on the religious sentiments of viewers. Be it Star, Zee, Sahara, Sony or Sabe TV all have been at pains to recreate the magic of Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Zee’s bouquet of mythological is led by Jai Ganesha being telecast every Sunday at 9.00 a.m. which recently completed 50 episodes, making it one of the longest running religious serials on satellite television in recent times.

Produced and directed by Sunil Agnihotri of Chandrakanta fame, Jai Ganesha too is loaded with heavy compugraphics and digital effects that lend it a certain surreal credibility.

Even after 50 episodes, Jai Ganesha is going strong week after week and its TRPs are scaling up the charts. Though it may never manage to break the records of Ramayana and Mahabharata, the longer it runs the more moolah it fetches for the channel and the producer.

Time was, a decade ago, when he was tottering on the last leg of his film career. And Bollywood had consigned him to the dustbin of over-the-hill stars. Now fast forward to the new millennium. Shekhar Suman’s name is spoken with reverence and awe. He’s not just the biggest star on the small screen, he’s also on the wishlist of a number of film producers.

Suman is doing pivotal roles in David Dhawan’s Chor Machaye Shor and Kundan Shah’s comedy, Kasem Se. Comedy has always been his forte. Whether playing the role of Chachu in Dekh Bhai Dekh or hosting Movers & Shakers or doing genuinely funny serials like Dum Duma Dum and Kabhi Idhar Kabhi Udhar, he has excelled in all.

These days, his main preoccupation is Neelamghar that he hosts on Zee TV. The fun and entertainment programme that randomly picks out participants selected from an invited audience has been a success from the word go.

"He was the best we could have got, in fact he was our only choice", says Alok Nath Dixit, producer of the game show and adds, "Shekhar has proved us right. His energy is electric and he single-handed makes the show come alive. He’s the king of all shows."

The king of all shows, a talking head or just a survivor against odds? Love him or hate him, the fact is that Shekhar Suman has mastered the art of shaking up those he meets. And that’s what’s made him the highest paid actor on Indian television.

Dolphins are considered creatures of wonder, living in a world full of alien sounding communications that humans find strangely soothing. Their vast intelligence has intrigued and attracted humans to their underwater habitats for centuries, but there are many secrets behind their large brains and playful nature.

Kindered Spirits on Animal Planet on November 25 at 10 p.m. discusses several dolphin-related issues: Have they evolved closer to humankind than previously believed? Do they hold the key to cross-species communication? Why are they just as interested in swimming with humans as people are interested in swimming with them?

The programme explores the spirit behind the studies done on these magnificent creatures. Gradually, researchers and scientists are exploring dolphins’ deep-sea world and learning more about these clever creatures and their intelligent behaviour.

Exceptional underwater photography provides viewers a firsthand look at dolphins playing games, beach feeding, blowing air rings and interacting with people. It follows divers, researchers and enthusiasts from the United States and the Bahamas as they swim with dolphins and search for answers behind the remarkable human and dolphin connection.

— Mukesh Khosla