Saturday, October 15, 2005


PUNJABI ANTENNA
 Dial for golden moments

The totally request-based live Punjabi show Dial-E-Punjab has completed 50 episodes. If you’ve watched this show, you’ll realise how popular it has become – both within Punjab and outside.

Eye-catcher 
A postgraduate in theatre and television, Rana Ranbir has an impressive portfolio. He has acted in scores of Punjabi stage, radio and television productions. He’s a poet and lyricist and has written for various productions. He has directed a few like Aala Afsar, Mitti Da Moh etc. Of course, when this Patiala lad teams up with Bhagwant Mann for Jugnu Mast`85on Zee Punjabi, the mirth machine really cranks up. Some of his memorable stage-shows are Loha Kutt, Annay Nishanchi and Mirza Sahiba; notable among radio shows have been Kehar Singh Di Maut and Bhagwant Mann, Naughty No. 1. Apart from comedies on television, Rana has acted in serious TV productions like Chitta Lahoo and Parchavain etc. Now he has taken over as anchor of Zee Punjabi’s popular road show Excuse Me Please.

Ranbir Rana
Ranbir Rana 

The first of its kind on the Punjabi small screen, DEP looks good enough to cross more milestones.

The team of Dial-E-Punjab: Fifty and still going strong

Pardesan Vich Punjabi (Zee Punjabi) has a special slot for providing info regarding rules and regulations that facilitate legal migration to Britain. While watching the show off and on, and listening to eager queries, one realises how popular it is with students already studying in the UK, as also with wannabe Britons of Indian origin – biding their time in sadda Punjab.

Laws, no matter how stringent and comprehensive, are useless if they are not implemented.

This point was tellingly driven home on the sets of Khabarsaar during a debate on the recent law enacted for enabling women to claim living rights in husbands’ houses even if the property is in the name of their parents.

It was pointed out that various statutes on this subject overlap, making it difficult to mete out justice. Worse, the instruments of implementation are blunted. To top it all, societal attitude does not favour woman’s claim to her share in property – of both her parents and in-laws. Ritesh Lakhi is proving true to his reputation for raising current social and political issues promptly.

— R.W.

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