Good music and lively talk shows
Randeep Wadehra

Jasmine Bhatti... viewers’ favourite anchor

Various channels have an array of entertaining music and enlightening talk shows. Then there are shows that are hybrid, having a talk show format with music as a major part of the content. In this category Geet Masala on DD Punjabi is quite an entertainer. It mixes song sequences with callers’ views on a given issue. Not so weighty are Zee Punjabi’s Dial-e-Punjab and Pyaar Naal. While the former has anchors engaging in small talk and banter with viewers on phone, the latter features letters. Among DEP’s various anchors Jasmine Bhatti is obviously the viewers’ favourite.

Zee Punjabi runs a sub-stream called Zee Kashmir, which telecasts, apart from a news bulletin, programs related to J&K’s culture and economy. Two of its talk shows, Campus Buzz and Mudda, are interesting. The latter has the potential for becoming an influential opinion maker as it deals with all social, political and other issues facing the state. For instance, its discussion on the impact of the post-Benazir Pakistan on J&K’s political scenario was quite incisive.

DD Punjabi, Jalandhar, has a number of talk shows in its repertoire that tackle a whole range of political, social and cultural issues. Recently, it had a lively discussion on the culture of consumerism and increasing ostentation in our society, pitting the spendthrift against the prudent, the young against the old and the traditionalist against the non-conformist. Related issues like suicide, crime and rural indebtedness were discussed too. Literature also features prominently on Doordarshan Jalandharshows. In an absorbing discussion Prem Prakash, Prem Gorkhi and Ram Saroop Ankhi took a look at the evolution of Punjabi short story up till and during 2007. It was enlightening to watch them contextualise various works vis-`E0-vis old and new issues facing society, including lesbianism, westernisation of culture and the emerging subaltern literature.

Having reached the semi-finals stage (at the time of writing this piece), Awaz Punjab Di 3 on MH 1 is certainly hotting up. In its several episodes one has come across several young singers who are not just enthusiastic crooners but gifted enough to eventually become singing stars in their own right in the not-so-distant future. The show’s judges Jaidev Kumar, Shail Oswal, Malkit and Pammi Bai have their task cut out for them. What’s appreciable is the fact that the advice that they give is not just pep talk but something more useful—tips on the technical aspects of rendering a particular composition and, sometimes, on-the-spot offer of a break in music audio/video discs.

Another attraction is the anchoring by actor Gurpreet Ghuggi and Urvashi. The former’s wit and the latter’s friendly disposition help young contenders to overcome stage-fright. Although Pammi Bai’s observation that Punjabi music has to be essentially high octave reflects the extant trend, how one wishes there were sophisticated compositions with soft notes, delicate touch and deft renderings too. After all we do have the Patiala Gharana as part of our heritage.

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