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Star
One has suddenly become a happening channel. Nach Baliye
continues to do the dance of the damn cool. The TV stars have
never looked or danced better.
 The
Great Indian Laughter Challenge and now Nach Baliye
have turned around the fortunes of Star's newest channel.
The ratings on Star One are attractive, and now the channel
in collaboration with the irrepressible Ekta Kapoor, is hell-bent
on swarming the fledgling channel with goodies.
The
first one to benefit from this season of harvest on Star One
is Amarr Upadhyay. He's been finalised to play the lead —
the role of a singer — in Balaji Telefilms' Krimson
Sky.
"It's
a very young very hip very now serial, and I'm very excited
about it," says Amarr who's also been finalised to be
in Ravi Chopra's Virasat, which goes on air on Star
Plus after Kaun Banega Crorepati ends its current innings.
Says
Amarr, "It's been a long haul for me. I started on TV,
got my fame on Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, then
tried my hand at films. Now I'm back. I realise television
is where I belong. I made wrong decisions about my career
because of lack of guidance. Now I want to build on my career
on television."
Amarr
started his second innings on television with a brief appearances
on Ekta Kapoor's Kasauti Zindagi Kay and Kkusum.
Krimson Sky will be his real comeback vehicle on television.
****
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Star
One has several new serials coming up. Says Star India
COO Samir Nair, "Ekta is doing a number of new
serials for Star One. Kya Hoga Nimmo Ka is
a Cinderella–like daily. Then there's Karbon
Kopy, which will be on the lines of X Files."
 But
right now it's Star One's two new shows that have
me all keyed. India Calling treads the same
territory as Star Plus' Shanno Ki Shaadi. Full-blooded
lassi-and-paratha tale with a blithe-spirited Punjabi
ambience that seeps into the very core of the characters.
The
first episode had the whole cast flying kites with
the boisterous matriarch (Himani Shivpuri) leading
the 'brag' pack. This joyous event was followed by
a sagaai where the characters danced so hard you wondered
when tragedy would fall on the proceedings. Sure enough
the bride of the wedding decided to play truant.
"I'm
not coming," she announces to her horrified sister
who tried hard to look… er, horrified. And succeeded
only partially.
The
problem with these serials is they try to cast a smell….
and I don't mean spell. The aroma of the sarso kA
khet just spreads across the horizon. Take it or leave
it.
****
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The
new horror series Darna Manaa Hai is a chill-up-the-spine
special with enough spine to make the chill fill real.
The
first story directed by Sourabh Narang (who made the film
Vaastu Shastra ) was a shiver-giver all right. Rajeshwari
was in splendid form as the housewife coping with the idea
of an evil presence in their home. The atmosphere was superbly
constructed with all the actors and technicians hitting
the right notes.
****
If
Sony's Jassi... re-introduced our TV addicts to the
ordinary plain Jain with extraordinary dreams, then Zee's
Kareena Kareena got even more cosy doing the desi
wannabe's aspirations.
 And
now two daily soaps are all set to carry the middle-class
dream even further. Sahara's Kituu Sabb Jaantii Hai,
which went on air on 14 November and Sony's Ek Ladki
Anjaani Si, which kicks off a week later on 21 November
are both about the hopes dreams and travails of the average
middle-class girl.
 While
the lead in the Sony serial is played by Kanchi Kaul, the
chosen girl on Sahara's serial is Ami Trivedi. "We
auditioned at least fifty girls before we zeroed in on Ami
Trivedi. She has all the requirements for the role. We needed
someone fresh-faced and able to connect with the audience…
It's the story of one middle-class girl's journey in life.
What sets Kituu apart is the fact that it's set in the media
world. No other soap has done that," says producer
Manish Goswami who's currently enjoying the success of his
political soap Sarrkkar on Zee.
"We're
trying to do something different all the time. The glamorous
business families are like desserts. Finally the audience
wants their favourite daal-chawal. I want to make serials
with real characters. That's where my earlier Kittie
Party, then Sarrkkar and now Kituu Sabb Jaantii
Hai score," asserts Manish.
Does
he foresee any competition from Sony's Ek Ladki Anjaani
Si? "I'm not even aware of this serial. All I can
say is, let's welcome soaps about real middle-class characters,"
laughs Manish.
Tarun
Katial of Sony has a different story to tell. "Yes,
Ek Ladki Anjaani Si is about a middle-class girl.
But her journey is so jolting and so unexpected, and her
experiences so far removed from what home viewers have seen
so far that we feel Ek Ladki Anjaani Si will crack
a new genre among the working-class serials."
 And
finally Kaun Banega Crorepati with Sania Mirza and
Lara Dutta was a Children's Day special that went beyond
the usual. While Sania Mirza had brought along her parents
Lara Dutta seemed to have invited the whole army battalion
to support her. The
introspective breaks were interesting, especially the portion
where Sania spoke about Mr Bachchan playing tennis at a
Kolkata club.
Pic
courtesy
Kituu pic by Kavita Shyam
India Calling pic by Ananya Sengupta
Lara - Sania pic from www.indya.com
Ek Ladki... pic from www.setindia.com
(The
views expressed here are those of the author and Indiantelevision.com
need not necessarily subscribe to the same)
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