TELEVISION
Evergreen Dharmendra
Randeep Wadehra

Dharmendra in conversation with Suresh Menon on the sets of Star Giraftaar

WHEN, as a teenager, he was told that pictures could move he was flabbergasted. For someone who had never seen a movie up to class nine at school, Dharmendra’s story is certainly a fairytale. Who’d have thought that one day this down-to-earth Punjabi would one day become a real-life icon, earning sobriquets like Greek God and He-man?

But Dharmendra is not the archetypal handsome hunk – good-looking bozo with a vacant upper storey. His acting prowess has been manifest in such movies as Satyakam and Kajal.

That he is versatile and intelligent comes out clearly in the variegated roles he has essayed in such movies as Chupke Chupke, Sholay and Phool Aur Patthar. He has made his mark in almost all genres – action, comedy, romance and serious cinema.

No wonder he has flourished in the dog-eat-dog world of Hindi cinema. Dharmendra has a fan following that transcends age groups, genders, class, creed and other such stratifications.

Even today he can give any young star a run for his money and send female hearts aflutter. Known as much for his quirky sense of humour as for his generosity, Dharmendra will be in conversation with Suresh Menon on ETC Music’s Star Giraftaar show, which will be telecast at 7.30 pm on 20 October and repeated on 21 October at 01.30 pm.

One for the ladies
Surabhi Khosla

RAJ TV’s latest venture has no scripts and no actors — only heartfelt dialogues and sincere people. There is no beginning and no end. The programme is about women coming together to confer, reason and discuss issues that concern them. It is about demonstration of their so-far unacknowledged skills. It is about celebrating womanhood.

An unusual way for a channel to celebrate its 10th anniversary but one that’s working, nonetheless. Hosted by award-winning Tamil actor-director Suhasini Ratnam, Raj TV’s new road show, Ladies Junction has become the talk of the town since its very first episode was aired on September 13.

The programme is a part of Raj TV’s efforts at providing to its women viewers, meaningful and qualitative entertainment. On air five days a week, Ladies Junction is a reality road show, where host Suhasini travels to villages all over Tamil Nadu meeting unsung achievers of rural south India.

Ladies Junction serves as a platform for rural women to come forward and talk about the different aspects of their lives and also showcase their talents. It is a public dais to discuss various — and hitherto unknown — facets of women.

With this programme Suhasini, wife of noted filmmaker Mani Ratnam, has donned a new role of a small screen anchor. Says she, "Offers for a lot of television serials have been coming my way for the last three years now but my own apprehensions about crossing over to the small screen made me reject most of them. But when this project came along I knew right away that this wasn’t an ordinary offer. After shooting just a few episodes, I feel I have taken the right decision."

Suhasini who has acted in over 200 films in south India and received, among others, the National Award for her outstanding performance in Sindhu Bhairavi declined a lucrative offer to direct a Subhash Ghai film as she wanted to do Ladies Junction. However, she feels it was worth it as this serial helped her come in direct contact with the people and fulfil a social responsibility, which she was not able to do while acting.

Though for the time being Suhasini has taken a break from the silver screen but she does plan to revert to directing movies. However, if some other TV offers turn out to be as good as Ladies Junction then she may be tempted to take a longer time out from films than she had planned.

THIS has to be the biggest exodus in the history of television soaps. It all began in 2002 when Amar Upadhyaya walked out of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi as the serial was pushed ahead by 20 years and he had no intention of aging so fast.

Little did he know that he was starting a trend. Look how many girls didn’t want to moms overnight. Mouli Ganguly dumped Kaahin Kissi Roz, Nausheen Sardar Ali left Kkusum, Shweta Kesarwani abandoned Desh Main Nikala Hoga Chand and Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki. Jividha opted out of Tum Bin Jaun Kahan and Zameen Se Aasman Tak.

Now comes the news that Sangeeta Ghosh is planning to leave Kasautii Zindagi Kay as she too is scared to play mum at 25. Co-star Cezanne Khan too is believed to have threatened to quit unless he is compensated handsomely for that mature fiftyish look.

So, unlike people like Smriti Malhotra Irani who’ve become virtual wallflowers in soaps, today’s stars are a restless lot. And their logic is simple. Look, says Sangeeta, "There’s enough time left for me to play older roles. If I start playing mom now what will I do when I come to the age of playing a mother".

IT’S a journey back in time on the BBC World on Heritage aired Thursdays 3 p.m. The channel takes you to the monuments that tell the stories of vanishing cultures and people.

These sites are unique and have faced the test of time. They have survived threats of war, tourism, population expansion, climatic and lifestyle changes.

The journey begins with Kathmandu, a home of 130 timber, mud and brick monuments. These heritage sites are crumbling in the face of poverty, theft and tardy development.

But there’s one man who’s concerned. Dr Rohit Ranjitka who runs the Kathmandu Preservation Trust with just nine staff members is doing all he can to preserve these sites.

What are the challenges this brave man faces in a country with a shrinking economy, mass poverty and social unrest? Keep your afternoons free to watch the Herculean effort of Dr Ranjitka and his team to preserve their cultural legacy.

IT has taken Jennifer Aniston months to come to terms with the fact that one of the most successful sitcoms is finally over. " It’s still hard knowing that we won’t come back to shoot for another season," says the two-time Emmy award winner and 2003 nominee for Outstanding Lead Actress.

Ironically, when Friends was going strong Jennifer feared that she’d be typecast as Rachel Green the character she played in the sitcom.

However her role of a supermarket clerk living a life below her dreams in the film The Good Girl belied all such fears and gave her the image of an actress who can do much more than smile and flick her hair.

Her last film Along Came Polly with Ben Stiller too was a worldwide hit. In fact Stiller is never tired of telling people that Jennifer is the most inspiring actress ever and has signed her for his next film Sitting Duck.

So, with finally it might be goodbye to Friends but its hello to Hollywood which is wooing her with open arms.

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