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On
Kyunkii... the TRPs remain steady only when Tulsi
weeps. Or else it falls flat. But on Kuch Diil Se restrain
is the key. I loved Smriti’s interview with the lady
called Ratna who had spent all her years since the age of
four in a hostel.
How
does hostel life change one’s perspective, specially
a girl like Ratna who said she was packed off because a
"gora - chitta" brother was born soon after her,
and parents couldn’t cope with both.
The
insights in the mind of a woman who had been shunned by
her own flesh and blood was amazing. We were looking simultaneously
at a woman scorned and two women relating to each other
as sisters. It was a wonderful view, surprisingly shorn
of theatrics and affectation.
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I’d
give Simi Garewal 95 out of a 100 for her fabulous tête-à-tête
with Rekha on Star World’s Rendezvous With Simi Garewal.
Rekha came across as the most stunning diva ever to grace the
small screen. Don’t forget, this was her first TV interview
in 20 years and her second in all her life!
That’s
right. Rekha is never seen on TV promoting her films, giving soundbytes.
That explains why she’s maintained an aura of exclusivity
while other so-called great actresses have come and gone.
Even Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi lowered their star status by doing
television. Madhuri’s match-making show on Sony Kahin
Na Kahin Koi Hai and Sridevi’s current sitcom Malini
Iyer eroded the aura.
But
Rekha on Rendezvous... elevated the stature of the home-viewing
medium. Suddenly the 28-inch screen blew up into a 70 mm experience.
Days after her semi-maiden appearance viewers are discussing her
clothes, jewellery, demeanour and most of all, her words, flowing
in a fast but never furious stream of consciousness, creating
a world of whispered memories and recalled ruminations.
Simi
had cleverly arranged for footage of Rekha’s first TV interview
(coincidentally conducted by Simi on It’s A Woman’s
World). Twenty years had passed. But Rekha looked almost the
same! In fact young actor Nakul Vaid rightly observed, "When
footage from It’s A Woman’s World was shown,
Rekha looked slightly plump. She looks even better now."
Beyond
the looks, there was a view into the life of a woman who had…
well, been there seen it all. The image of a plump 13-year old
blossoming into a diva was given verbal and visual shape. Said
Rekha, "I’d go on starvation diets to lose weight…
eat only popcorn."
"That’s
not the way to do it," Simi shook her head knowingly. The
two women related as two colleagues and two women of the world
creating a world that was wonderfully adventurous glamorous and
glittering with fond recollections.
****
It
was a memorable evening. We don’t get too many of those,
certainly not on the soaps. The afternoon serials have turned
bizarre. In Star’s Bhabhi the protagonist Saroj is
all set to marry Sumit who’s played by Mukul Dev. Brother
of big-screen villain Rahul Dev, Mukul Dev once has starry aspirations
until they all dissolved on the boob tube. Today he’s content
doing the random sitcom or soap.
Bhabhi
of course is funnier than any sitcom. Last week Saroj and Sumeet
did a wet rain dance. They tried to look as though they were in
the throes of ecstacy. Instead they resembled two kangaroos hopping
across a soggy hinterland.
Really,
when would our soaps cease to be filmy? And the melodrama! Ooof
it’s unbearably loud. Kkusum’s daughter in the soap
of the same name is pregnant. This means mama Kkusum had to do
the slapping-hysterics act. The actress who plays Kkusum (Manasi
Joshi) really let herself go. The soundtrack was filled with furious
slapping sounds as the lady blew hot and cold.
****
What
a blow to subtlety. Star’s immensely popular Des Mein
Nikla Hoga Chand has moved forward by one whole generation.
That means it’s done with Amar Upadhyay and Sangeeta Ghosh
(who can now sign other soaps for small screen sustenance). But
TV veteran Neena Gupta is now part of the rather complicated family
tree. As soon as I figure it out I’ll tell you who’s
who, and why.
****
MTV
has gone desi! On Sunday I saw two anchors interviewing Farhan
Akhtar (with his trademark hairband) and Hrithik Roshan (without)
in Hindi. The jokes which included Farhan repeatedly interrupting
Hrithik with his wisecracks and funny faces lost their flavour
in translation.
Big
Picture ko bada tasveer banana asaan nahin, mere MTV wale bhai
log.
That’s
why I like watching Smriti Z Iraani on Sab TV's Kuch Diil Se
where at 11 pm (what’it owl about!) she addresses social
issues without stumbling over the practical hurdles, like traumatised
guests who could burst into tears at any moment. For a reality-based
show there’s very little tears on Kuch Diil Se. That’s
because the hostess saves all her theatrics for her star-vehicle.
