PUNJABI ANTENNA
One more for the devout
by Randeep Wadehra

GOOD news for the pious. On the eve of Prakash Utsav, the ETC Khalsa – a dedicated religious channel – was launched. Jagjit Singh Kohli, the CEO of ETC Networks Ltd, informs that some formalities are still to be completed before the channel goes on air; and it will be available to viewers across the globe sometime around Divali time.

Our Punjabi news channels seldom fail to enthrall the viewers, be it the Iraqi hostage issue, the Parchu peril, the Prakash Utsav eve political shenanigans or that eternal soap opera called the Punjab politics. The Dalmegh Singh versus Raghbir Singh tussle for the post of SGPC secretary has set the tone for the elections to the Sikh body’s presidentship. On a more sober plane, we had Tarlochan Singh, I.K. Gujral et al in a brainstorming session on Goonjan (ETC Punjabi). The topic was Punjabiat, and the discussion was thought-provoking.

This is the right time to go to the hills. The sultry weather is driving us nuts. Nobody realises this better than our television wallas. MH1’s I Want and Alpha Punjabi’s Excuse Me Please teams have already made the summer trek to the Himalayas. Now it was Jasmin Bhatti interacting with students of a girls’ college in Shimla for Saada Campus. Cool, huh.

Jugnu Kehnda Hai on Alpha Punjabi often targets the usual suspects – politicians, policemen, teachers and government servants. But this time the satire’s barbs hit the community of versifiers, and high time too. Poetry in our region is mired in clich`E9s and stereotypes. Lack of imagination has killed this once vibrant art. This point was made tellingly when one of the ‘participants’ came up with the ‘truck graffiti’ like buri nazar wale tera munh kala. Good to see the song-based spoof puncturing a few windbags. Talking of song-based comedy shows, Sudesh Lahiri as Yamraj on Alpha Gaddi was absolutely hilarious.

Music lovers have one more programme to get their treat. Music Nights on Wednesdays at 8.30 pm gives you songs old and new. However, the anchor’s diction is a bit too anglicised. It doesn’t really gel with the Punjabi ambience. But then, perhaps, the show targets viewers in the UK and the USA.