Sunday, April 15, 2001		Television

HERE’S a surprise from Doordarshan. An unusual, feel-good serial that lifts the spirits and brings a smile on the face of the viewer.

As the title suggests, Kya Aap Khush Hain? on DD-I every Sunday at 9 p.m. is about happiness and the joy of living. The serial starts with an ad appearing in a newspaper asking the question and then suggesting that if you are not happy you contact ‘Mr B’ who promises to deliver happiness to anyone seeking it.

Those who contact the mysterious ‘Mr B’ find out that he is a middle-aged, unpretentious man who is ready to lend anyone a shoulder to cry upon and even cheer up depressed souls. Through these newspaper ads, ‘Mr B’ meets people from different walks of life seeking solution to one basic question; Hum Khush Nahin Hain.

But there’s a twist in the tale. Once these people have departed Mr B’s core team appears. It comprises of two people — Secretary Maya who is a svelte charming and intelligent woman with a mind of her own. And then there is Ahuja, an out-of -work actor whose mastery in disguises comes in very handy in Mr B’s well-hatched plans.

Who is Mr B and what are his plans? For answers switch to Doordarshan every Sunday evening to cheer things up.

Almost every week there’s a new serial pegged on the theme of two estranged women. This week, it’s the story of two loving sisters who are torn apart by circumstances and become sworn enemies.

Hamare Tumhare on Zee TV every Sunday at 8 p.m. is the new offering from Soni Razdan who earlier did a take-off on Michelle Pfieffer-George Clooney starrer, One Fine Day. Though this one is not ‘inspired’ by any Hollywood hit, the storyline has clones spread across all channels.

The saving grace of the serial are performances of the two estranged sisters — Ruchika and Radhika — played by Pallavi Joshi and Nandita Puri respectively. Ruchika the milder of the two is ready to forgive and forget, but Radhika is adamant about never seeing her sister again.

That’s when Radhika falls critically ill and has, perforce, to leave her two kids in the care of the sister she hates so much.Ruchika has two children of her own and there is instant hostility between them.

From then onwards, the serial climbs a moral pedestal and talks about the virtues of love, forgiveness and harmony. The storyline too loses it tempo, making Hamare Tumhare a forgettable fare.

Here’s a soap you won’t be able to wash your hands off very easily. Ankahee every Wednesday on Zee at 8 pm is a story of two sisters (our scriptwriters just can’t go beyond that) orphaned at a very young age.

The serial opens with the elder sister,Anita receiving a prize for topping the university in academics and sports. The mayor of the city who’s giving away the awards is so impressed with Anita that he sends her a proposal for his younger son. Soon the two are married much against the wishes of the mayor’s wife.

But the marriage is not destined to last long. Even as everyone is coming to terms with the sudden marriage, Anita is murdered under very mysterious circumstances. Younger sister Anjali gets married into the same family in a bid to find out who killed her sister and why. Little does she realise that she is opening a can of worms.

That’s when the serial takes a dramatic turn. A criminal is released from jail after a long sentence and he has just one agenda in life to eliminate the mayor.Why does he want to do that? Does the mayor have a past that only this criminal knows? For some surprising answers switch toAnkahee.

The time he saw her, he confesses, his heartbeat just began racing. Please don’t laugh. VJ Gaurav can’t be faulted as singer actress Jennifer Lopez does have a mind-scrambling effect on guys.

What was Gaurav doing in the company of no less a woman than Lopez? He was neither her blind date nor was he a part of an awe-struck crowd. He was on a special Channel V mission — to interview the sensational singer-actress.

On a whirlwind trip to the far-east to promote her new album J Lo, Lopez made a special stopover at Hong Kong on the invitation of Sony Music where Channel V had sent Gaurav to cover the event.And that’s where he buttonholed her for an interview.

"It was an experience filled with excitement from the time I set foot on the Chep La Kok International Airport till I met Jennifer," says Gaurav rolling his eyes heavenward. Little wonder he looked all starry eyed when he chatted with the star for almost an hour!

All the victims were young — some were mere teenagers and the eldest were in their twenties. Had they lived today they would have been in school or college. But in Peru, they were already seasoned warriors, scarred from dozens of combats. But in the end, their martial prowess failed them.

More than 1,000 years ago, they were beaten and tortured. Their throats slit, their skulls smashed and their dismembered bodies flung into the dirt. The archaeologists who found them centuries later didn’t know whether to shout with joy or gape in horror. On April 22 at 10 p.m. Discovery Channel uncovers the secret behind The Pyramid of Doom — An Ancient Murder Mystery.

Most excavations in Peru reveal ancient remains resting in decorous respose. But here scientists have discovered something shockingly different. While excavating this ancient temple, scientists uncovered 70 skeletons of young warriors, all of whom met with a violent death.

Why did these 70 Peruvians suffer such a morbid death? The answers are going to electrify the scientific community and reveal the dark side of one of history’s most intelligent societies. Don’t miss this stunning show.

— Mukesh Khosla