A stunner all the way

A SMOULDERING queen of the ramp, a sought after model for TV and press campaigns, the chaiyya chaiyya girl, a high profile TV anchor. Will the real Malaika Arora please stand up?

"I am all of those," says the lissom lass. And all of this has gone to make her the fascinating hostess for Club MTV.

Malaika started her love affair with the camera in diapers, promoting everything from baby products to soft toys. Her transition to the glamorous adult world came at 17 when she was splashed on the cover of some leading magazines. Then on, it has been fast forward, with offers flowing in from Benzer, Pierre Cardin, Nyle Shampoo, MRF Proline, Tanishq and finally the job of the MTV hostess.

"I am having a blast at MTV," she says. "I pretty much let myself go... and jabber... and dance... and let the music make me feel good... "With lots of happening music and... people... at varied locations... What more can one ask for?

Romancing the comet

The race for supremacy has begun between two leaders — Discovery and the National Geographic channels. Both are airing excellent programmes that are informative and entertaining. One such programme to be aired on December 13 will be the Emmy Award-winning Asteroids: Deadly Impact on the National Geographic.

It’s all about comets and asteroids. Ages ago, streaks of fire in the night sky were taken as supernatural omens. Today, new discoveries are confirming that they could spell disaster.

According to research, the comets and asteroids portend terrible things to come. Leading scientists warn that a catastrophic collision between earth and a huge chunk of flying rock is inevitable. This will result in the worst natural disaster in history, inflicting far more devastation than would be caused by the release of the world’s entire nuclear arsenal.

Asteroids: Deadly Impact, is both a scientific revelation of great importance and proof of the advancement of astronomy. So, if you like quality viewing this show is just what the doctor ordered.

Dance baby dance

Here’s Zee’s answer to Sony’s Boogie Woogie. Set on almost the same lines, Cha Cha Cha is a song and dance competition, which has a line-up of people to judge the talent of the leg-shaking participants.

While the two hosts of the show are Sucheta and Sahil, director Ken Ghosh acts as a permanent judge. With him is another judge will change every week. Some of the short-listed ‘non-permanent’ judges include people like Suchitra Krishnamurthy, Shaan and Sagarika, Nasir and Bali Brahmabhatt.

The show has four rounds. In Khullam Khulla, participants dance to a song of their choice. They are then tested for their speed of dancing in Golmaal. The Double Role is a visual round where a clip of a dancing star is shown and the participants have to imitate him or her. And finally the Prop Round where they are given props which they have to use in a dance sequence.

There can be no two opinions about a show which cashes on the senseless gyrations which pass off as modern dance. And, as if Boogie Woogie wasn’t enough, there’s now a clone as well.

Profile of a killer

If action is your idea of good TV don’t miss Profiler, the new series on AXN. The story revolves around a brilliant forensic scientist with a unique for understanding the criminal mind is persuaded by her former mentor to head an elite team of talented professionals who investigate high-profile crimes.

Profiler is a stylish thriller series that focuses on Dr Sam Waters’ unique ability to ‘think’ in pictures and visualise a crime through the eyes of both the victim and the killer. Three years earlier, however, her talent exacted a high price. She got too close to a serial killer named Jack, and he murdered her husband, leaving her guilt-ridden and bereaved.

Coaxed out of her self-imposed retirement to take up her new role as part of the FBI’s Investigative Support Unit, it’s not long before the serial killer, Jack, lets her know he is trying to track her down.

However, despite her cat-and-mouse game with Jack, Sam’s mental imagery will be used to investigate other crimes, taking viewers on a roller-coaster ride as she matches wits with arsonists, assassins, bombers, perpetrators of hate crimes and other antagonists.

Animal planet

In an interesting tie-up, Discovery Channel and BBC are launching Animal Planet, a network devoted to "all animals all the time." It offers viewers a mix of high-quality programmes dedicated to the fascination humans have with the animal world.

Starting January 5, 1999, Animal Planet offers compelling and heart-warming programming by some of the world’s finest wildlife filmmakers, including series from the BBC’s Natural History Unit, classic animal dramas and true-life stories celebrating the people who have championed animals around the world.

Some of the programmes include shows like Zoo Venture, an animal game show and Pet Planet about the secrets to good pet care. There are also classics like BBC’s All Creatures Great and Small.

Indeed, Animal Planet is for people who love animals in the wild, at the zoo and in their homes. It reveals what the people and the world of animals have in common. A must see family-oriented network for all age groups.

This fortnightly feature was published on December 20, 1998

— Mukesh Khosla