Sunday, November 19, 2000		Television

IT’S a woman taking up cudgels for a woman. A story whose twists could keep the not-so high-minded viewers glued to their TV sets.

Lajja on Sony Entertainment Television Fridays at 10 pm is about a middle class Indian woman, Aarti married toDeepak, a doctor from Chaudhuri family.

One of Chaudhuri’s son runs a business and his wife is due to be elected Mayor. The youngest son Anand has been selected for the Indian cricket team and daughter Rakhi is about to be engaged.

Preparations for the big day are on and there is a festive mood in the entire household when Ganga, a young girl brought up by the family becomes a victim of lust. And

the accused is a family member. Aarti is so shocked that she has a miscarriage.

Even as the family tries to hush up the incident, Aarti is determined to fight against the social conception that a "wronged woman is a wrong woman."

Will she succeed in her fight or succumb to the pressures of the Chaudhuri household? Tune into Lajja for answers.

What can you say of a serial whose script hinges on the initials of family members?

Kal Aaj Kal Aur Kal Sundays, 9.30 pm on DD Metro is one such serial about a joint family of 14 people, spanning four generations.

An unusual thing about the family members is their initials. From Dada Ram Dayal to Dadi Ratna Dayal, their son Raj Dayal, his wife Rajni Dayal and kids — Rishi, Rahul and Ritka Dayal. Every member of the family has the initials ‘RD’.

The serial is a journey into the lives of all members of this family and reiterates the importance of traditional family values in today’s fast paced world. The logic: since they have the same initials there’s all the more reason to stay together.

Ho-hum! If there’s a sense of ennui take solace in the fact that 9.30 pm has a lot many viewing options.

If you’ve been missing the Somanis, Kashmiras and Shahs, here’s your chance to re-visit them. This serial takes you back down memory lane for another dekko into the lives of rich and famous.

Sangharsh Wednesdays 8.30 p.m. on B4U is set against the backdrop of an illustrious business house, the Somani Group — whether the similarities to real life are coincidental or not is not clear.

The story revolves around Sameer Soni, a business tycoon and D.N. Sharma, his friend and legal advisor, Soni’s grand-daughter, Kalindi and Sharma’s daughter Sandhya are the best of friends.

The central plot is about these two fiercely ambitious girls and their dreams and aspirations. A story of friendship and values in the face of conflicting loyalties.

The storyline and good performances by Vikram Gokhale, Deepak Parashar and Neha Dubey hold the viewers’ interest — but just enough to save this soap from sinking.

They are loud, massive and incredibly loveable. Elephants may stampede through the open plains of Africa, but this month they snuggle up to viewers in Echo of The Elephants, Animal Planet on November 26 at 5 p.m.

This one-hour special showcases the caring, nurturing and emotional side of a family of elephants. Though they can weigh more than 5,000 kg, elephants are surprisingly gentle and docile animals.

Scientist Cynthia Moss has studied elephants for over 20 years, but one family has captured her heart. From the birth of a baby calf to her sexual maturity, the show follows events that occur in this family’s life.

This heartwarming tale of maternal instincts, social interaction and childhood mischief illustrates the strong bonds that keep the family together. It shows just how human elephants can be.

Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actress (Gwyneth Paltrow), Shakespeare In Love on AXN, November at 9.30 pm has won a number of other honours including the Golden Globes.

And it is easy to see why. An incisive screenplay by playwright Tom Stoppard, a stellar cast including Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush and Judi Dench, who steals every scene she is in as Queen Elizabeth.

Set in 1590, the film starts with a rising young star in London theatre going by the name of William Shakespeare. But he is undergoing a severe writer’s block and can’t seem to get going on his latest play, Romeo and Ethel; the Pirate’s Daughter.’

Enter Lady Viola, a budding young actress. Suddenly words start to flow from young Will’s quill, even as he falls hopelessly in love. Alas, Lady Viola is already committed to Lord Wessex. What’s an ordinary playwright to do now?

A must-see movie for its crisp dialogues, excellent performances and a roller-coaster script.

— Mukesh Khosla