Television memory is short. Very short. If Adnan Patrawala and his gruesome murder dominated the airwaves last week, this week he was almost completely forgotten. This week, it was all about the Hyderabad blasts and the Bhagalpur thief and the brutal justice meted out to him. The images ran on every news channel for hours at a stretch, to ensure that everyone got his share of voyeuristic pleasure while 'tch tch'ing over the way in which the youth was handled by the cops and the public. "Bhagalpur hasn't changed," was the chant from each quarter, although not many of the newshounds must have really bothered to re-visit Bhagalpur in these last fifteen years. Till of course, this incident occurred.

By next week, the Bhagalpur incident too will be ancient history in the annals of television and the Hyderabad blasts relegated as another chapter in the torturous saga of terror and violence that we are so used to, by now.

But, the news channels' obsession with Sanjay Dutt and Salman Khan continues unabated. Whether in or out of jail, in pujas or in aircraft, media seems to be always at the ankles of the duo. Channels fret over the way Sanju's hair has been cut and the kind of food Sallu might be getting, and a myriad minor things besides. At least on Raksha Bandhan, the Sallu fervour was given a different twist when many news channels turned the spotlight on the 'commoner' sisters that patiently sat outside the jail gates, awaiting their turn with the rakhi, even as Salman's sisters (and his mother too!) were speedily ushered in for the special occasion. The commoners are probably used to the long wait every year, but Salman's presence in the jail at least gave them a chance to vent their frustration on the bureaucratic apathy.

News will come, and news will go, but rest assured for the next one month, Sallu and Sanjay will be our staple diet.

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Komolika in Kasautii? That's good news

Kasautii Zindagi Kay, after its leap, has been a shadow of its previous self. With a more mature Prerna (who's been sleepwalking through her part these days), and the absence of the sparring between Bajaj and Anurag Basu, the show is beginning to lag. Now we are told the infamous Komolika is poised to return, complete with a new hairstyle. It might just do the trick. Urvashi Dholakia as Komolika did inject an amount of spice into the Kasautii proceedings, and if the plot supports her fresh entry, the show might just wrestle itself back into the reckoning again.

Poor Parvati can't have enough angst in her Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii life, it seems. After trying to get back at her parivaar that had been doing wrong to her all this while, the dame is now grappling with the issue of marital rape within the family. An issue that seems to work well for flagging TRPs since the times of Sony show Kutumb five years ago. A tried and tested Balaji formula to turn a soap's fortunes around. Wonder how Ekta will resolve it this time round.

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Losers are winners

It's good to see all that flab melting away on the hoardings all over the place. But wonder how many loyal viewers latched on every weekend to catch the antics of the motley crowd gathered by Suniel Shetty on Sahara One's Biggest Loser Jeetega. Now that the show inches towards its final on Sunday, it might attract the curious viewer to check out the slim and trim winners. A show that could have been witty, funny and touching somehow became a sober drudgery of just reducing kilos. Hope Sahara adopts a different strategy with its recently launched Bathroom Singer.

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Ranvir, Vinay aur Shaan

Can't help but put in a word about this show on Star One that manages to pull out the whackiest from its guests. Ranvir and Vinay, both of whom seem so completely wrapped in each other, still got Shaan to croon whacky numbers, talk nonsense and in general, unwind as we have never seen the singer before.

Interestingly, even Karan Johar got friends Shah Rukh Khan and Farah Khan in a whacky, witty mood last weekend as they spoke irreverently about their upcoming production, Om Shanti Om. SRK admitted that his kids often don't answer his umpteen calls, and ribbed Farah on her impending motherhood. Farah as usual, was her usual candid self. Overall, a delight to watch.

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Couch potato tip - If you want to watch a SRK clone on TV, head to Star One's Dill Mill Gaye, where the hero tries to dimple, pirouette and talk like King Khan. One suspects he's got similar contact lenses fitted too.