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WHEN love is blind reality is an eye-opener. That is what Rahul and Meera discover after seven years of marriage and two kids. They are on the verge of divorce. And they don’t know why.
Unable to offer any proper explanation they are given a year to sort things out. But they are determined not to make things work. Those who love them are out to thwart their designs. Adding to the confusion are an absent-minded father, a garrulous mother, two utterly loveable children, two cut-throat lawyers and a marriage counsellor at her wits’ end. Which all makes Alvida Darling a hilarious and heart warming comedy for all age groups. |
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An apple for Indian cricket No important Indian cricket match is complete without him. In fact he’s as sought after as any top player and wherever he goes his autographs are as precious as Tendulkar’s or Ganguly’s.
He was first spotted by ESPN in 1998 when he appeared in an ad as an apple seller trying to teach Kumble the art of bowling. So impressed were the channel bosses that he was snapped up for a three-year contract. The high point of his career came when he went to ‘cover’ the 1999 World Cup. And then the Australia series. He’s hit it out big with the Indian team. His favourites? Gavaskar and Boycott. What about the team? Prompt comes his bouncer, "We’re all part of the team. I can’t play favourites!" Soapy affair Old seems to be gold for most television channels as far as soaps go. Like wine, most of the long-running serials are maturing with age and gaining new viewership by the day. United Television which took a gamble in 1993 by launching the first daily afternoon soap, Shanti with unknown faces has never looked back. The soap has now been running for over six years.
Cinevista’s Junoon, launched in 1993 caught the urban viewer’s fancy which had already been whetted by American soaps like The Bold and the Beautiful and Santa Barbara. Seven years later it continues to be a daily habit for Sony channel viewers. In fact viewers are happily lapping up the old soaps. And channels like Zee, Sony, Star Plus and DD know all too well that they can win the ratings game only with soaps which hold out a strong appeal to the middle class families. Songs of a Punjabi munda By education he is a chemical engineer. But his profession is not even remotely connected to his qualifications.
His earlier albums, machli hai Oye and Aj Nachno Nahi Hatna were released only in Punjab. Though they did well, it is with his new album that Sahney has hit gold. The regularity with which the video from his album is being aired on TV, showcases his talent. It is hardly surprising that Sahney is already being seen as a formidable competitor to all the big names of popular music. This Punjabi munda looks all set to make a long career in the world of Indipop. Master of the interview With three decades of experience behind him, Rajiv Mehrotra is one of Door-darshan’s most experienced interviewers. His new show, Mindscapes, Sundays 10.30 p.m., is a series of conversation with those whose ideas and vision define our contemporary world. Though the show is many years old, it’s now been revamped as Mindscapes. Down the years it has featured leaders like Lee Kuan Yew, Lech Walensa, Desmond Tutu, Margaret Thatcher, Ravi Shanker, Yehudi Menuhin, Amartya Sen and more. Besides being a regular with DD, the Oxford and Columbia educated Mehrotra is an independent film-maker whose documentary. Adoor: A vision in Frames won the silver conch this month. But more than anything it is Mindscapes which gives him total satisfaction. He says. "My interviews are apolitical and project those people who have impacted the community." And through his shows they impact a serious viewership as well. — Mukesh Khosla |
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Alvida Darling at 11 a.m.
on Zee every Sunday is all about a couple who let the
little nothings of life add up to so much that the only
answer is divorce. Soon they find themselves at the mercy
of their two opportunistic lawyers and a family court.
But make no mistake. He may have
been signed by ESPN-Star Sports to clown around, but
he’s no joker. Apple Singh aka Sanjay Mishra is a
1989 graduate from the National School of Drama.
Plus Channel’s Swabhimaan,
scripted by Shoba De, has carved its own niche,
thanks to viewers’ insatiable appetite and has been
going on for the last six years.
Had he
taken up an engineering job, Shanker Sahney’s
pictures would not have been splashed in weekend
supplements. That’s the kind of popularity he’s
achieved after his album Yaari Yaari was released
recently to rave reviews.