An unconventional thriller

IF Yeh Hai Raaz has got viewers a trifle confused by flip-flopping between Ruby Bhatia with Deepti Bhatnagar, Star Plus has now an alternate crime thriller, Saboot in which Aneeta Kanwar (Lajoji of Buniyaad) makes a comeback on the small screen as gutsy detective, KC.

But its not a ‘whodunit’ in the conventional sense of the term as the murderer is revealed in the very first episode. The viewer thus knows who committed the crime but detective KC must now piece together the evidence to make a fool proof case.

Much like a female version of Mohandas BALL.B. Inspector KC is a clumsy character but has a razor sharp mind for criminals who move in high society and pose as powerful people. Though this makes her job difficult, in the end she manages to overcome all obstacles and cracks the case.

Also starring Vikram Gokhale, Parmeet Sethi and Beena, Saboot is an unusual crime serial where there is no element of mystery. Now it remains to be seen whether such an unconventional storyline goes down well with the viewers or not.

A woman spurned

Asha Parekh’s love for the small screen knows no bound these days. Even as Daal Mein Kala loses its steam week after week, she is ready with a new serial Kora Kagaz on Star revolving around the story of a young girl rejected by her husband.

It’s all about her struggle to overcome societal embarrassment of living as a rejected wife. But soon enough the self pity gives way to a new determination to become ‘someone’ in life. Renuka Shahane plays the protagonist whose metamorphosis from an ordinary girl from a conventional family with middle class values to an individual with a strong identity is the essence of the serial. Her struggle is woven against the backdrop of her immediate and extended family.

However, if Kora Kagaz, also starring Anil Dhawan and Salil Ankola, reminds you a wee bit of Neena Gupta’s hit serial, Saans, well, the similarities could just be coincidental!

Hello Ruby

The suspense is finally over. After her sudden exit from Channel V, Ruby Bhatia was at sixes and nines about her future. 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 but without much of an impact.

Now, it would seem, Ruby has re-discovered her lost metier — the role of a VJonce again.

She has signed a contract with Nirja Guleri for a new countdown show titled Hello. The show plays on the concept of telephone talk and has a spoof/helpline cum partyline/feel to it. There are other segments like Line Busy, Cross connection and Pop Redial.

While most viewers may yawn at the idea of another countdown show, Ruby is very excited. "Nirja Guleri is the most successful TV producer today", she gushes and adds, All her shows like Chandrakanta, Ooh La La and Tu Tu Main Main have held number one positions. I’m sure this show too will be top of the pops. Ruby’s enthusiasm is touching considering that she’s poised to replace Neelam on Guleri’s Ooh La La as well.

Not great viewing

At the risk of being dubbed non-Swadeshi one fervently hopes that Doordarshan leaves cricket alone. With its obvious money clout, the national channel seems to be bagging most of the international cricket ties involving India.

It has recently pipped ESPN-Star deal for three year telecast rights for the Sharjah series. As it is DD is already broadcasting the Mini World Cup series being played in Dhaka. In 1999 it would be covering the World Cup from England.

Nothing wrong with that except the fact that the national network’s signal delivery on cable networks is pathetic. Moreover, it has never cared to develop a professional team of commentators.

And worse, it has a penchant to switch off during vital moments of the match for news broadcasts.

However, with the kind of adspend riding on these cricketing series. DD is bent upon pocketing the megabucks. And as far as quality goes perhaps it couldn’t care less!

Ad-vancing her career

The transition from television to movies is often a tricky one — just ask Renuka Shahane, Pallavi Joshi, Pankaj Kapoor or any of the myriad small-screen stars who’ve come a cropper in films.

But every once in a while a TV star will successfully make the jump to cinematic glory. Take the case of Shah Rukh Khan, Bollywood’s numero uno who made the crossover. Or stars like Mukesh Khanna, Navneet Nishan, Alok Nath, Himani Shivpuri or Satish Shah who may not have become as big as Shah Rukh Khan but have nonetheless struck gold on the big screen.

The latest convert is Preity Zinta, who till a few months back was happy doing television ads for Cadbury chocolates and a degree course in (hold your breath) criminal psychology.

Today Priety Zinta is one of the hottest properties in Bollywood. Even though her debut film, Dil Se opposite Shah Rukh Khan, bombed at the box office, she is confident that her about-to-be-relased Soldier co-starring Bobby Deol, would be a big hit.

Surely stars like Preity Zinta never had it so good. There is a choice, a freedom to opt for roles in movies, in ad films and television and be treated like royalty everywhere.

Fun for Hollywood fans

Movie buffs are in for a good time as Star TV has inked a million dollar deal with Metro Goldwyn Mayer to air movies of both MGM and United Artists as also a selection of library titles.

Some of the recent hits from these two studios have included films like James Bond’s Tomorrow Never Dies, The Man is the Iron Mask as well as upcoming features like Ronin starring Robert De Niro, At First Sight, which teams Val Kilmer and Mira Sorvino and yet-to-be-titled new Bond film with Pierce Brosnon reprising his role as the popular 007.

The agreement the first output deal for feature films MGM has signed with any pay television service in Asia since it withdrew its MGM Gold branded channel from the territory last year.

So, if you are a fan of Hollywood movies, there’s a whole lot of fun awaiting you. Just switch on your television or if you are a bigger fan go and get a home theatre.
— Mukesh Khosla