TELEVISTA
Fall from grace
Amita Malik

We all know what happened to Humpty Dumpty. He had a great fall. I would like to say something about India’s controversial personalities. On a day when India created a world record by launching no less than 10 satellites at one go, these personalities occupied more time and space on TV than the top scientists who launched those satellites, two of them Indian made.

First, the topic of Bhajji. He was seen going into the hotel for his hearing, and later embracing Sreesanth in front of the match referee who had sentenced him to missing the next 11 matches. Bhajji has been the naughty boy of Indian cricket for some time and Sreesanth the cry baby. Bhajji’s mother came out of it best, speaking in simple Punjabi that while her son may have made a mistake, he was not that bad after all.

Harbhajan Singh will be out of the next 11 cricket matches while Sreesanth has been given a stiff warning

Next came KPS Gill, not exactly the most popular personality on the small screen. Arrogant, brusque non- respecter of persons. But he also had a great fall and it took another Gill to do it. The other Gill is not only a fine administrator and a gentleman, he is also man enough to take on KPS. He did it by dissolving the baby which KPS had kept captive for 18 years and replaced it with some legendary hockey players in a new committee.

As far as TV viewers went, they had the rare sight of the great KPS slinking into his house not once looking back at the media clamouring for him. That was the unexpected end of his domineering ways, at least for the time-being.

Then there were the cheer leaders. It is not their fault that the IPL authorities had joined the rat race and flown them in to make what many consider sexy diversions on the cricket field. As cricket authority Ramachandra Guha aptly said, they were totally redundant. However, it is difficult to quit a rat race. So there they were, back on the ground. But while their bare midriffs remained as they were, they wore black tights right down to their ankles, smiles in tact, and presumably passed the obscenity test for both Mumbai’s moral police and regular police.

While on the subject of dress, at least for some TV viewers, such as this columnist, to see some of the world’s top cricket players, including our own Rahul (wall) Dravid in striped red and yellow gear made one positively squirm. This new penchant for putting serious sportspersons in colorful clothes is becoming a bit too much, especially for TV viewers. One can now appreciate why Wimbledon insists that the tennis stars wear only white. It restores sobriety to the game.

At the same time, in passing, I must say I enjoy Nadal’s pedal pusher pants and the striped band round his head to match. It keeps his long, unruly and sweaty hair in place until he takes it off and runs to the net to shake hands with his vanquished opponent. Last week it was Federer again at Monte Carlo. I equally enjoy the young and beautiful Maria Sharapova, said to be one of the highest paid sportspersons in the world with an army of sponsors after her. Her elegant dresses on court, with diamond earrings and, some say, diamond-studded tennis shoes certainly make her much worth looking at, as much for her beauty and elegance as her flawless tennis.