Sunday, February 15, 2004

TELEVISION
A prized jewel, Josh & just magic

Gurdeep Kohli: Playing Dr Juhi forever

JUST a few weeks ago, she was going to town over her entry into Bollywood. But things obviously haven’t gone the way Gurdeep Kohli would have wanted them to go.

But that has not sent the spirited Gurdeep into a depression. She is still going great guns as Dr Juhi in Sanjeevani and turning down all other offers. " I am having a great time doing just one serial. Even after two years, Sanjeevani still excites me."

The two people because of whom she’s sticking to just one show, she says, are Vikram Gokhale, from whom she’s learnt the nuances of body language, and Mohnish Bahl, who has taught her the importance of underplaying a character.

But haven’t the lessons gone on for too long? " You can never stop learning. Till the time I get something really challenging I’ll be happy doing Sanjeevani. I don’t want to get lost in the saas-bahu genre." This is precisely what makes Dr. Juhi so special.

The story of a necklace is a metaphor of the destiny of those maharajahs who passed from the heights of power to their downfall in less than a century, when India was partitioned in 1947.

The Patiala Necklace on Discovery is a tale that goes back to 1925, when the house of Cartier was commissioned by Bhupindar Singh, Maharadjadhiraja of Patiala, to create the most stupendous piece of jewellery ever made – a necklace of over 1000 carats.

After 1947, the Patiala necklace mysteriously disappeared. In 1998, Cartier managed to track down and buy back the necklace but it had lost its major stone, which was restored later. Watch this fascinating story unfold on Saturday, February 21, at 9 p.m. It will keep you riveted to your seat from the word go.

Josh machine

For all those who thought he had become a statistic and joined the ranks of failed TV stars, there’s a surprise in store. Vinod Sherawat, who played Siddhu in the action-packed thriller Josh, is all set to make a comeback and that too with a boom.

" I was never out of the loop, just changed track and went goodwill hunting in Bollywood," says Sherawat about his vanishing act.

Though he missed out on a meaty role in Shyam Benegal’s Netaji, Sherawat has completed Javed Jaffery’s Enjoy and has signed two more art films.

So, is it goodbye to the small screen? Not really, says Sherawat. " I am waiting for some meaningful roles but those will come only when the soap era ends." Till Ekta Kapoor is around that would mean some waiting!

So what, if he missed out on a chance to be a star in the ABCL Star Trek contest some years ago. Today, J.D. Majethia or simply JD is a star maker. His comedy Khichdi has re-written the fortunes of many on TV, including Supriya Pathak and Anang Desai.

"The Khichdi role just landed at my doorstep. Though I am a producer, I was the last- minute filler for Devan Bhojani as several others were tried before me," says JD.

A veteran of the Gujarati theatre, many of his shows have gone on for years. He now plans to make Khichdi spicier by adding an extra dose of humour.

Now that the comedy is well set, are there any plans to make a soap? "I’ll never make a soap. But yes, now I am planning another zara hat ke comedy." After Khichdi it would be interesting to taste the next dish from JD’s menu.

After receiving the 2004 IMM Award for Excellence, Pratibha Advani has started making serious film plans.

In a career spanning over a decade on television and a handful of shows like Ghoomta Aaina, Yaadien, Jeevan Ke Pal Do Pal, the lady aims to head for the final frontier—films.

An admirer of The Rising Khan, Aamir and an avid movie buff, she was assistant director to Kalpana Lajmi in Daarmiyaan and says she’d some day like to don the director’s cap. But that day may be sometime away as Pratibha is currently hosting Swayam, a talk show on Sab TV that is keeping her very busy.

And what about rumours that she’s scripting a movie? Rumours, she says, are well`85just that. When she does scripts the writing will very much be on the wall for all to see!

Going by the phenomenonal success of serials like Shaaktimaan, Karishma Ka Karishma and Shaka Laka Boom Boom kids sure are being taken seriously by serial makers.

Take the case of Sonpari every Wednesday on Star Plus at 8 p.m. Ever since it started three years ago, the kiddie serial is managing to attract eyeballs. But according to its producers, it’s no child’s play keeping intact the attention span of kids. The flavour of the script needs to be changed from time to time.

That’s exactly what’s happened in Sonpari. Fruity and her gang are now on a fascinating journey where they meet all-time great characters like Cindrella, Snowhite, the Seven Dwarfs and more. In an interesting twist the kids bail these characters out of trouble.

Producer Neena Gupta is confident that the new storyline will grab the imagination of kids and give the show a huge boost in the popularity ratings. Will this fanciful journey yield the desired results? Now it’s for the kids to give a thumbs upor a thumbs down!

— Newsmen Features

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