PUNJABI ANTENNA
Dev Anand among Punjabi NRIs
Randeep Wadehra

HOW age and experience mould one’s attitude and mannerisms! On Kujh Pal Tere Naam this fortnight one came across two personalities that were a study in contrast.

First it was Jazzy B, the archetypical new generation Punjabi NRI – as much at ease while crooning crossover numbers as singing shabads – self confident to the point of being brash yet inquisitive about his roots. The other was Mangal Dhillon – proud of his rustic upbringing and quick to admit that he was still evolving. And this man is a respected theatre and film personality.

Talking of NRI Punjabis, one saw kids in Birmingham singing carols with chaste earnestness on Pardesan Vich Punjabi. Then there was Ramola Bachchan, the socialite sis-in-law of the Big B receiving the Asian Personality of the Year Award at a gathering in Birmingham which was lit up with the presence of the ageless Dev Anand. It was a treat to watch Dev Saab speak chaste Punjabi garnished with his famed diction and mannerisms.

Bhagwant Mann on Dial-E-Punjab is a revelation. Although in Jugnu Mast Mast he does regale us with earthy humour while playing different characters, it is on D-E-P that he really impresses with his ready wit while responding to viewers phoning in to the live show.

Another promising stand-up comedian is Sudesh Lehri on Alpha Gaddi. He plays the rustic with as much aplomb as he does the caricature of a city slicker. His recent appearance as a transvestite on the show was superb. Carry on Lehri.

EYE-CATCHER

Ritesh Lakhi Ritesh Lakhi is a familiar face as senior correspondent for Zee News and is an anchor as well as producer of talk shows like Khabarsaar on Alpha Punjabi. He has covered several important happenings like the Indo-Pak Diplomat Expulsion Spree in April 2003 and umpteen elections. A moderator for more than 600 panel discussions, Lakhi has also done several news stories like Ek Duje Ke Liye – a special series on kidney swapping by two couples – that won him the Indian Tele Cine Awards in the social service category. Another story of his that caught the nation’s attention was on how RAW & Intelligence informers were being forced to smuggle weapons from J&K to Punjab; former militants, these informers were forced to work as Punjab Police’s CAT agents. An expert cameraman and video-editor, Lakhi stood second in mass communications from PU.

This feature was published on January 22, 2005