I find Indian chat show host Karan Thapar 'aggression personified.' Perhaps that's what always makes his shows so gripping. No matter who his guests are, somehow no one is ever spared, till the moment of truth finally and ruthlessly always arrives on the show.

With the best use of tautology ever, always phrasing and rephrasing his questions, Thapar's always very incisive and confronting. If this doesn't work, Thapar will continue trying to provoke even to the extent of being extremely rude to the celebrity till he/she is forced to spill the beans. Years back I remember Thapar grilling the Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on the rowdy behaviour of Sainiks and his idea of Hindutva; when the tiger roared on the show itself - 'I was told before I came on this show, that the host usually asks such funny questions on the show. Wish I had not come.' That was some high point in television viewing as viewers got to see a ruffled and red in the face politician. Ignoring the ire, Thapar still persisted with his questioning.

Cut to the present. This week on Devil's Advocate, on the newly launched CNN -IBN Thapar's moment of truth arrived when General Musharraf suggested self-governance for Kashmir by a joint management handled by India and Pakistan. We have to go beyond autonomy and independence. Obviously, Thapar didn't leave him at that. But then how do we work it out? Will you bring in constitutional experts ? Which experts, Indian or Pakistani? What role will the politicians play? Etc etc…

The volley of questions continued till the General exclaimed …. 'this show is rightly called Devil's Advocate.' Yet, Thapar as usual continued with his business-- But now you won't go back on these statements? To which the general said, ' I am saying things live on television, so how can I. We hope so…

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Since we are on CNN IBN, though too early to comment must say star journalist Rajdeep Sardesai's new channel looks promising. In an era, when the very definition of news seems on the roll, the channel has rightly taken a correct mix of national, international, local as well as entertainment and soft news. Clearly, the channel is playing it smart by targeting the hip and on the move generation who definitely think there's more to news than just politics.

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Since, we are on chat shows, it was quite a treat to watch media baron Aroon Purie make a rare appearance on his channel this week. Purie (who looked pretty suave and sophisticated) along with Prabhu Chawla went on to grill the BJP stalwart LK Advani.

The wide-ranging interview started off with Advani's comments on Jinnah being called a secular, his current status within the party, and his personal views on a variety of subjects. For the first time ever after stepping down as the party president Advani was candid and frank. He went on to explain the facts based on which he had made the comments on Jinnah. To quote him verbatim, 'But somehow, the media did not present the whole picture and I had to pay a price for it.'

To a question by Prabhu Chawla on whether he's still the Prime Minister in waiting. He diplomatically replied, 'whatever role the party decides for me, I will accept it.

To Purie's question on the India Shining campaign, the BJP strongman went on to accept that the party had become complacent and India Shining campaign was a total failure. Candidly confessing, he went on to say 'for a common man on the street who has tons of problems it was the BJP telling them that we've solved all your problems in five years.

Moving on to soaps, Ekta Kapoor's still-popular Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii is now going back to square one. As usual, in all the Ekta serial's the main protagonist Om Agrawal (Kiran Karmarkar) is not really dead. In a rather funny twist to the plot, it seems a doctor had conducted a plastic surgery on a dead body… Gosh…

Sad for Mohnish Behl who was brought in to take the plot further after Kiran Karmarkar. I find Behl one of the rare character artist around was slowly grows on the viewers. Not just that, but Behl and Sakshi Tanwar who have earlier on worked in Sony's Devi share an excellent screen chemistry.

Since, we are on Ekta, looks like Ekta's super duper TRP raker Kyunki is moving towards another generation leap. Very soon the longest running soap opera on the Indian small screen will see new faces and newer conflicts. But I just hope the Mandira bit stops. I mean, you can't have the first generation vamp doing the rounds even when the third generation has arrived… But in Ekta serials, anything is possible…