Sunday, December 10, 2000		Television

TODAY she dismisses the image of the Dum Maaro Dum girl with a casual wave of the hand and the rich, spoilt brat she played in some of her hit films only brings on a fleeting blush on the faintly wrinkled face.

And, Zeenat Aman, Mumbai’s first oomph girl of the seventies, has found yet another image to cultivate. That of a TV show hostess on B4U.

In Conversation with Zeenat, coming soon on the channel is a lively half-hour programme where she talks with viewers on wide-ranging issues.

The ‘conversation’ has all the ingredients of scaling up the charts as it promises to be different. And if Zeenat can dig out some of her old magic, it is guaranteed to be as big a rage among women as her movies once were among the men.

A take-off on a dialogue made famous by Amitabh Bachchan in the seventies, Mooch Nahin To Kooch Nahin, DD Metro, Thursdays 7 p.m. is set against the backdrop of the quintessential Indian paan shop.

Pannalal Moochhad is a paanwala with a unique Veerappan-kind of a ‘mooch’. Along with his two clients, a postman and a modern Shayar, (poet) he shares witty anecdotes and hilarious experiences in life through a series of skits.

Interspersed with film songs, some of the jokes are stale while many will evoke instant mirth. This may not be a laugh-a-minute comedy, but it will keep you entertained intermittently. Worth a look.

We’ve seen it all before on the national channel and in films. Now Zee is turning the clock back with age-old fables of medievial kings, princesses, flying horses, palaces, genies and fairies.

Thief of Baghdad, on Wednesday at 10.30 p.m. is a fantasy based on the Arabian Nights. Magical feats abound in this live story between a thief, Ahmed, and a fairy princess, Yasmin. Yasmin is in the captivity of the king, Jaffar, who claims to be God because of his black magic. But the brave and intelligent Ahmed rescues the princess from the evil clutches of Jaffar.

Thief of Baghdad emphasises the good and evil inherent in human life where greed and lust, love and joy, beauty and ambitions are woven together.

Such fables require a plethora of special effects to be gripping. But in this case, ordinary production values mar an elementary story which has stood the test of time.

It’s the tired old story of love, trust and betrayal which could make a badly scripted Hindi film seem like The Titanic. What differentiates it is its setting amidst the sultry summer days and cool desert nights of Dubai.

Kasak, Thursday, 12.40 p.m. Zee TV is cliched tale of romance, pain, anguish and forgiveness. It revolves around a woman whose love for her husband knows no bounds. Nothing can shake her faith even if the husband is wayward and unconfirming.

The serial compares her to the ageless Indian woman who, is "as eternal as the love itself." Retrogressive and out of sync — the serial could as well raise the hackles of all educated and professionally empowered women.

Svelte Suneeta’s pulsating rhythms

In today’s world of quick fame and quicker oblivion, Suneeta Rao has reigned as a singing diva for almost a decade now. Her mesmerising voice and fiery performances have put her in the forefront of Indipop.

Two years after she hit box office gold with Talaash, Suneeta is back with a new album Ab Ke Baras which combines lilting and contemporary music composed by Anand Raaj Anand.

An extremely colourful and picturesque dance video shot on Ab Ke Baras by film director Prakash Jha, amidst the sand dunes and exotic locales of Bikaner, has suddenly become the hot favourite of the music channels sending the new album racing up the popularity charts.

She continues the folk tradition in her latest album. Starting with the lead song to the sensuous Oye Badshah and the fun filled Rhoote Rahiyao Raja, Suneeta lends an ethnic flavour with her rich and versatile voice.

Suneeta today is a multi-faceted artist who has sung for prestigious film banners and performed at prestigious stage shows. Her future plans ? "To sing, sing and sing and have a blockbuster of an album."

Discovery Kids brings viewers new real-life stories about kids who have exhibited courage, intelligence and ingenuity to overcome incredible obstacles. Each exhilarating story demonstrates that there are real heroes and real adventures all around us. Premiering December 5, Real Kids, Real Adventures will be aired every Tuesday throughout December at 6.30 p.m.

The shows dramatically recreate the true-life experiences of kids from all over the world. A 12-year-old girl who fights for her life when she is attacked by a tiger shark. A 15-year-old hiker who rescues his grandfather on a cliff face and an 11-year-old who pilots a runaway hot air balloon.

Hamille Rustia, the 16-year-old host of Real Kids, Real Adventures, is a photographer with an abiding fascination with heroic kids and their exciting exploits. In her studio, surrounded by pictures of young heroes, she introduces the story of each real adventure.

Watch these real heroes in real-life situations. A not-to-be missed fascinating action adventure.

— Mukesh Khosla