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Does
mainstream TV take tips only from big brother cinema? Or does it sometimes deign
to cast a glance at and learn from what's happening on its lesser siblings - the
regional channels? Some
of the new shows that just launched on TV make one strongly suspect that Hindi
channels are, like it or not, taking some lessons from their regional counterparts.
Thodi Si Zameen, Thoda Sa Aasman for one, and Resham Dankh for another.
Both these shows have a strong story for a base, quite like many Marathi serials
that have graced the screen. These shows may hinge upon the trials and travails
of the main protagonist, but their characters are well researched, the plot seems
to know definitely where it's headed and the cast and the sets do not look like
they have been culled out of a factory turning out mass produced goods. It could
be the strong tradition of theatre that has bequeathed its legacy to Marathi channels,
but several shows on Zee Marathi and ETV (DD Sahyadri which once boasted good
serials, seems to be lagging behind though) carry that strong flavour of good
literature, competent acting and coherent direction. Perhaps the same is true
for the South Indian channels, as well as their Bangla and Gujarati counterparts,
but it's definitely true of the Marathi serials. Shows like Soniyacha Umbara
have been effectively recreating the rural Maharashtrian imagery, and those
like Uun Paoos bring out human conflict with great conviction, without
falling prey to the tactics of extreme close ups and weird sound effects that
many Hindi shows rely on to create the right effect.  That's
where Thodi Si Zameen... seems different, in the right direction. It has
just started telling the tale of a young daughter of a laid off textile mill worker,
and promises much. Pawan Shankar with his brooding good looks, has for once been
cast right as the disgruntled brother, out to seek revenge against the mill bosses.
The setting is typically mill town Mumbai, and there's a smattering of Marathi
stage artistes to add to the feeling that the show may take the road trodden by
Marathi shows. But Smriti Iraani, with her oodles of weight, is a bit hard to
digest as a 27 year old bent on making her mark in the world. She looks matronly
and acts matronly, and her efforts to act with the gay abandon of a 27 year old
look downright funny at times. The strain of being Tulsi and now Ba, seems to
have been too much for Ms Iraani.
****
|  The
two week old Resham Dankh has started off on a strong footing, with Rahil
Azam cast well as Aditya Balraj. Again, is it producer J D Majethia's strong theatre
links that bode well for this show, based on a novel penned by partner Aatish
Kapadia.
Of
course, with Star One on the blink in Mumbai this week, it was difficult to know
if Aditya's problems have begun in earnest. In the absence of much choice, one
had to turn to DD and could enjoy a blissful two hour long interview with Ustad
Bismillah Khan, recorded 10 years before his demise this week. Despite the many
glitches in the lengthy interview interspersed with live phone-in questions, it
was a delight to watch the modest maestro at his humblest best, answering inane
and irrelevant questions with childlike candour. A persona of his caliber did
deserve a free flowing interview of this sort, without any commercial interruptions
and it's probably only Doordarshan that can spare the time and effort to turn
out one, when satellite channels are encumbered by commercial pressures. Some
things do work out best on DD!
**** |
 A
classic example of the inane exalted to ridiculous heights was set by Discovery
Travel & Living last weekend. It aired an hour long detailed account of the
grand wedding ceremony of Vikram Chatwal to Priya Sachdev. If the names don't
ring a bell for you, the entire one hour proceedings wouldn't have made much sense
either. The son of New York restaurateur Sant Singh Chatwal decided to blow up
a bomb having a wedding that would remind his firang friends of the India of their
dreams - fire eaters, elephants and tight rope walkers, the works. And well, Discovery
decided to detail the extravaganza in breathless delight... ooh, the champagne
that flowed and wow, check out the bride's outfit... yawwwn! If this is the channel's
effort at going local in its programming, it might work only for the pseudo set
that revels in such voyeuristic pleasures!
****
Couch
potato's promo of the week - Humour borrowed from cinema continues
to tickle our channels pink! Golmaal's weird foursome are out in full force, chanting
'Duniya Goal Hai' for ESPN's English Premier League. Soccer sells on humour too! (The
views expressed here are those of the author and indiantelevision.com need not
necessarily subscribe to the same) |
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