A ‘shocking’ serial on air

THERE’S an element of scare in all of us which great suspense directors like Alfred Hitchcock have thrived upon on the big screen. Now fear stalks the small screen as well.

Shock TV on Star Plus every Thursday at 10 p.m. has the elements of a heart-stopping scary film. When disasters strike. When wild animals attack. When stunts go wrong. When mobs go out of control. Terrifying true life incidents which put the fear of God in people, are packaged into each episode.

Bharat Dabolkar presents the show which is in English and aimed at the upper middle class urban people.

So get set for half an hour of smashed cars, cracked walls, killer dogs, crushed furniture — all the basic components which go to make Shock TV.

[V] relaunch

It‘s new and it’s cool. With its relaunch Channel [V] has become the most happening channel for young people. And the best part is that it’s not all music, music and just music.

Sure, music still forms a large part of the channel but other shows are equally exciting and relevant for the youth. For example, there is Virtual V a fun way of falling in love with the cyberworld of Internet, E-Mail, CD Rom, html and http.

Patli Galli is a rough guide to the world of adventure sports and travel which focusses on trekking, rafting, windsurfing at different destinations in India. Gone India showcases travelling through India’s best tourist destinations on a shoestring budget.

Job Shop tells you all about careers, interviews and which exams to give, what forms to fill, what money it takes and what money it makes. Crossword is a twister of game show. Cool Maal is about anything which clicks. From a funky bicycle design to a retro-futuristic stereo, it has all that catches young people’s fancy. Says Steve Smith managing director of Channel [V], "I’m sure the youth will find the new programming entertaining, adventurous, informative and something they can easily relate to." Not just the youth, even their parents could well relate to such a mix.

Ruby’s make-or-break show

Her gamine charm, quick wit and ready smile may have won her a million viewers but Ruby Bhatia pines for the days gone by. Her days as a VJ.

Back in1996 she was on top of the world hosting shows like BPL Oye, The Vibe and more. But even as she was riding the crest, came the fall. She was suddenly out of Channel V and a big question mark stared her in the face.

There were rumours that she was joining MTV as a VJ. Nothing came of it. She made a brief foray into acting with Yeh Hai Raaz, did a cameo in husband Nitin Bali’s debut album Na Jaane and hosted Neerja Guleri’s Hello. But still viewers weren’t impressed.

Now, Ruby says she has re-discovered her lost metier — the role of a hostess in Kinetic Mega Show every Thursdays on Star Plus. "It’s a chat show with a difference," she says.

Every week Ruby invites a Bollywood personality for an interactive show where an invited audience has an opportunity to directly talk to a star. The line-up of celebrities has included Saif Ali Khan, Manoj Bajpai and Pooja Bhatt. With Bajpai coming out as the most intelligent of the lot.

Ruby is putting in everything she’s got in a show which she knows could have a very significant impact on her future. Nobody should be surprised though, considering that she’s had a line of flop shows after she quit Channel [V].

An empress on TV

For over 15 years she ruled India with an iron hand. And though her husband Jehangir was the emperor of India, it was Noorjahan who had unbridled control over the reins of the government from 1611 to 1627.

But more than her historic relevance, it is Noorjahan’s famed beauty which has enchanted romanticists for centuries. And this is precisely the premise of Cinevista’s new serial Noorjahan on Doordarshan every Wednesday at 9.30 p.m.

Directed by Imtiaz Khan, the serial was shot in Srinagar and Gulmarg even as the Kargil war raged. From there the unit moved to Agra and Fatehpur Sikri.

The star cast includes Salil Ankola, Milind Soman, Parikshit Sahani, Talat Aziz, Ranjeet, Mrinal Kulkarni and more. Though, as in other historical serials, the star who’ll play the role of Noorjahan is being kept under wraps much like the Mughal empress who ruled from behind her veil.

— Mukesh Khosla