Camaraderie in an orphanage

CAN an orphanage breed camaraderie and sisterhood? Yes it can and a very strong one at that. That’s what Janam on Zee is all about.

The serial is the story of four girls brought up in an orphanage, who are more close to each other than real sisters. They are all brilliant students, cherish noble values and vow to provide emotional support to the lonely souls who are new to the place.

In times to come Vasuda becomes a doctor, opts to stay single and devotes her life to the orphanage. Sangeeta studies to be a lawyer. Shilpa graduates as an architect, gets married and has two children. Neha, the painter, too is married but childless.

Despite their different lives, the four girls have a single mission in life they want to redefine birth and legitimacy. They consider themselves and others born out of wedlock as completely legitimate children who society cannot look down upon.

Though at first sight Janam may sound and appear like a tear-jerker, it picks up pace dramatically and becomes both engrossing and thought-provoking.

Reversal of fortunes

As serials go this is a role reversal of sorts. Unlike Saans and Heena, in Sparsh every Thursday on Sony, it is the woman who deserts the man when she realises that her decision to marry him was a wrong one.

Anand Chaudhary is a talented music director who meets Bhumika, a successful career woman. They fall in love and marry after a brief courtship. Marital bliss prevails for five happy years until one day, Bhumika realises that she has outgrown the relationship and that the only answer to her problem is a divorce. Anand is shattered by his wife’s decision.

He is forced to let go of Bhumika but finds it difficult to come to terms with the harsh reality of separation. To his good luck he meets another woman whom he grows to love.

In spite of the acrimony that results from separation and divorce, there is an undercurrent of strong feelings in Sparsh which links people irrespective of the choices they make and the roads they choose to take.

It portrays the complex yet simple nature of relationship. And the twist-in-the cafe theme is bound to keep viewers glued to their sets.

A sense of deja vu

It’s Antakshri time again. No, not the Close Up Antakshri or the Picnic Antakshri variety. It ‘s in a new avatar Aquafresh Music Station on DD Metro. And taking you through the musical journey is the former Zee Antakshri hostess, Renuka Shahane.

The cosmetic changes are all there. The hostess holds a kind of a chat show with the two invited celebrity guests before kicking off the Antakshri.

There are rounds and more rounds. Starting with the "twin song" and ending with the ‘detection round’. Most of which look and sound similar.

There’s a sense of deja vu as far as antakshri shows go. Overlapping rounds have become a part and parcel of these shows as script writers seem to be running out of steam, but then, if you are on DD or DDMetro you are assured a decent viewership.

So, unless you are a die-hard fan of Antakshri you will realise that like all others this too is one of the many antakshri shows.

Kids’ shot at fame

This one is surely going to perk up the kids. Cartoon Network is offering its young viewers an opportunity to express their true sentiments in 15 Seconds of Fame. Dedicated hotlines have been set up in five major metros with interactive voice response (IVR) programmed in the voices of famous cartoon characters.

When kids call one of the dedicated hotlines, they will be automatically connected to an IVR and a cartoon character will start speaking to them from the other hand. It could be Shaggy of Scooby-Doo Where Are You fame or Fred Flintstone of the Flintstones or Fantastic Max even boy genius Dexter of Dexter Laboratory who’d probably warn, "Try and ask something intelligent!"

The fun will go on till January 16, 2000, and is open to kids from Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Chennai, Bangalore and neighbouring cities. All that children need to do is to call one of the hotlines advertised on the Cartoon Network and leave their name, city and personal message in 15 seconds flat.

The whakiest, funniest, cutest and the most cartoony message will be aired the following week giving kids a shot at hearing their voices on air.

So, kids, get set to call up Cartoon Network. You never know, it could be your lucky day!

Bat and man

They are mysterious and eerily curious in appearance, but the giant bats are extremely rare and indispensable to their environment. Discovery Channel ventures into the unknown Land of The Giant Bats introducing viewers to the Livingstone’s flying fox and the Comoros lesser fruit bat.

For thousands of years, the trees and bats of the islands of Comoros have survived together. However, rampant deforestation is has had a great impact on their lives. Comoros is one of the poorest nations in the world and has one of the highest birth rates.

In order to accommodate their growing population, more land is needed for crops and more wood for fuel and construction. Where does this leave the bats? On the path of extinction.

Premiering August 22 at 8 p.m., the series will take viewers on a journey of discovery to the inhospitable islands of Comoros to find out the many mysteries surrounding these bats’ precarious existence as they battle extinction. A great lesson in the importance of conservation efforts to animals, the enviornment and humankind.

— Mukesh Khosla