Punjabi antennA
Damdami on DD
Randeep Wadehra

Sidhu Damdami

IT is always perplexing when one finds a popular programme vanishing from the small screen without notice, rhyme or reason. Sidhu Damdami’s Kharian Kharian on Lashkara channel had given us quite a few memorable interviews—the ones with S.S. Johl and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal stood out. Just when one gave up searching for the missing Sidhu, he popped up on the unlikeliest of platforms, anchoring Khullian Gallan on DD Punjabi, a channel not known to encourage originality and genuine talent. This too is a walk ‘n’ talk show and appears every Sunday and Thursday at 7.30 am and is repeated on Tuesdays and Fridays at 10 pm. The timings could have been more viewer-friendly.

Sidhu, who pioneered this format with Share Aam on the now defunct Tara channel, has already made the Akali stalwart SS Dhindsa admit in Khullian Gallan that his party had erred in not setting up a commission on terrorism. Then there was the Punjabi University VC, Boparai, opposing revival of student unions, thus ruffling quite a few political feathers. Similarly, Ramoowalia was candid enough to acknowledge the general misuse of MPLAD funds. Well, although Sidhu Damdami’s show has lots of dum, it remains to be seen how long will it last on the channel known to be a sarkari mouthpiece.

On ETC Punjabi’s Dil Diyan Gallan, one watched Satinder Satti interacting with singer Jassi Sidhu. What struck one was the informality exuded by the two. This bindaas style contrasted with the strait-jacketed, formal stance of the previous anchor.