G ot on to Sony's Deal Ya No deal after a long while. Must confess, on earlier occasions I had never been able to figure out what's the big deal about the show. I found Madhavan's anchoring style a bit too thanda and predictable. Most of the time, I failed to figure out what the game was about - to me it looked like a shot in the dark, as the contestant on the hot seat kept selecting some boxes randomly hoping for a magic figure of the price money.

This week I was quite relieved to see apni svelte cricket loving Mandira Bedi as the new anchor. This one looked like a special episode of rickshawallas where the classy anchor was down to using the lingo of the masses as she ordered for a 'cutting chai' for the contestants. The gully cricket anchor showered a great deal of camaraderie on the show. Towards the end of the episode I kept wondering whether all the laugh out loud was about the contestant winning the money or about being with the tantalizing and vivacious noodle strapped anchor.

In all, I think what makes the Extraaa Innings hottie tick is not just her class but even her mass appeal as she connects with the viewers. And that's her USP Sahara One's Dial One aur jeeto as well. No retakes, nor gaffes, as Mandy baby is always in sync with the callers..

*****

Since, we are on Sahara One, the channel seems to be on a roll. With innovation being the name of the game in the television business, looks like the channel is fast trying to consolidate its new viewer base with fresh and interesting fare. Somehow, I feel the new programming introduced is a definite move towards trying to connect with the man on the street; unlike most of the other stuff we have going round, which is directed at the upwardly mobile and urban crowd.

There's Kavita Barjatya's (Rajshri Productions) Woh Rehne Wali Mehlon Ki, which is a slight deviation from the mainline soaps. Sometime back I caught the main protagonist leave her palace to get a taste of the common man's life as she travels in local trains and rickshaws. There's also a certain touch of traditionalism to the soap along with an old-world charm.

Then there's Kittu Sab janti hain which has the main protagonist trying to carve out a niche for herself as a journalist. Caught up between the old and the new world, last week's episode, had Kittu go through the trail of the arranged marriage system. And later the plot thickens as Kittu decides to choose career over marriage.

Then there is the recent addition to the channel in the "retrofitted" Buniyaad which has definitely added the icing on the cake. This Sunday, as I caught my first episode of the serial, I found a beautifully etched love affair taking shape between a very innocent & flirtatious Lajoji and a strict Masterji (Alok Nath). A classic love story woven around the subject of partition, amidst the constant bickering between the three brothers.

*****

Since we are on Alok Nath, Zee's old hit Astitva Ek Prem Kahanni wherein he played Dr Simran's father has been replaced by Ekta's new show Kasamh Se. Somehow, I think Astitva had not really reached it's logical end and the channel could've spiced up the serial with renewed vigour. I mean, Ekta style where the plot thickens everytime the TRP's fall.

So, will Ekta cast her magic with Kasamh Se? The story woven around an epic tale of three sisters, completely different in their outlook towards life but tied together by a bond of trust and sisterhood. Sorry to say though, in all it looked like a sweet warm story for the yuppie crowd but somehow nothing really different or striking…

Mandira's Pic By: VICKY AHUJA