switching lives. Deceptions has had only one known Indian clone, a film called Gitanjali starring Rekha. Hubahu is a well-made television serial. The transformation from a screenplay to a teleplay has been well handled. The original plot is very much a part of the serial and the process of adding characters and nuances for an elongated television serial from a film plot without vexing the viewer has been finely done. Still one ponders how the subject would be handled once the original plot has been juiced out. The serial has it all - drama, romance, caviar and champagne lifestyle, modern nuclear family, investigation, possibly action and 'not to miss' passionate kissing shots probably for the first time since Tara.

Sandhya Mridul is a fine actress and is performing the roles of both the sisters with emotions succinct to the script, but viewers commented on the difficulty of differentiating between the sisters. She can take a leaf out the original exceptional performance by Stephanie Powers. The other aspect one can use is the background score with different signature tunes to each sister. The casting has been well thought out as most of the actors etch well with the serial characters. Rajat Kapoor seems apt in the role of 'jaded' husband. Aly Khan's negative character has forced him to give a varied performance from that of his usual restrained roles. Suchitra Pillai is her usual self and is carrying it well.

When compared with television products such as Dastan etc, the presentation with oriental locales could have been better. In general terms the production values seem fine. Better music could instil more depth to the characters.

The promotion of the serial, especially the launch has been apt with a good mix of promos and a strong advertising campaign. But one did not see any coherent PR activity in the press, which was possible by promoting the programme to a target audience of an age group of 20 to 40 years. The profile and lifestyles of the characters are of a similar age group who seem to identify themselves with the storyline. One hopes the paparazzi picks up the passionate kissing shots in this drama, if not, reports around it should be suitably planted in a few choice publications.

Producer Parvati Balgopalan

Writer Ajitabh Menon

Director Nupur Asthana

Koushik Saha has been associated with television for the last 18 years from Bhimsain's hit comedy Choti Badi Batein in the eighties, to television projects of Pritish Nandy Communications and as a Strategist with Sahara TV. Now as an independent analyst he looks at present television programming with wide perspective, with studies from different focus groups of TV viewers. Saha has drawn his conclusions from discussions with around 80 people, all of whom reside in Mumbai but represent as wide a cross section as he could manage.

(The views expressed in this article are purely those of the author and indiantelevision.com takes no responsibility for the same).