Big Boss 2: Twice Smart

Monday - Friday, 10 pm, Colors
A house is as interesting or boring as its inmates. And, going by the member profiles of Bigg Boss’s house - this one seems quite interesting. The biggest challenge for any reality show concept is to sustain audience interest in subsequent seasons once the novelty of a concept hits dejavu. Thankfully, the idea of Bigg Boss - putting together a group of unrelated contestants from different backgrounds and personality profiles for a certain number of days indulging in games of one-upmanship - cannot be passé, as it appeals to one of the basic human curiosities that sustains many a fanzine - voyeurism.
Secondly, unlike most first season episodes, Bigg Boss’ second season comes with some newer twists and a much more eclectic bunch of inmates. For starters, this is perhaps the first Indian reality show to have a politician on board (beyond those guest judging appearances) in Sanjay Nirupam, a former jail bird Monica Bedi, a rustic restaurateur Ashutosh Kaushik, a much maligned abusive celebrity husband Raja Chowdhury and a defamed celeb son Rahul Mahajan going beyond the convenient cast of models and actors.
Another casting masterstroke was getting in the ‘infamous’ Jade Goody of Big Brother fame - her presence would have been a nice case study in human behaviour in linguistically challenged circumstances. However, her untimely exit (courtesy a third cancer square) I am sure, will be more than made up by the likes of the perennially-courting-the-camera item girl Sambhavna Seth, a matronly Ketaki Dave or the frank speaking Sanjay Nirupam.
The camera too has got a little more voyeuristic this time, with only a transparent glass wall separating male and female privacy. However, the male bunch this season seems lot lazier than its previous batch with model Zulfi Syed topping the list of disinterest. Comparisons will be inevitable what with the contestants too getting into repeating previously seen behaviour patterns - Sambhavna is on a decided Rakhi Sawant hangover and agenda, while Dave could well be the next Deepak Parashar.
But while the previous host Arshad Warsi brought a naughty cockiness to the show, current host Shilpa Shetty has to go beyond the ‘goody’ gag to spice up the host act.
Verdict
Here comes a ‘real’ reality show that promises to better its debut edition.

ARSLAAN: What a mix!!!
Saturday, 7 pm, Sony
Harry Potter meets Lord of the Rings in the land of Arabian nights with Shakespeare’s three witches from Macbeth thrown in for perpetual havoc. One thing we have to credit our adaptors, if we have to be inspired, it has to be big time. The resulting kitsch is unique enough for none of the above mentioned sources to be able to allege a direct lift with liberal doses of a typical Bollywood teen love story thrown in with all its attendant jealousies, sacrifices and song moments for a very Indian impact.
The show begins with an intro into Arslaan land with weird sounding names and a hills and vales map akin to JRR Tolkien’s Middle Earth. Main villain and head of demons Zakfaaaaaaaaaaaaaar (Mukul Dev) sits in a fire-spitting palace that resembles Sauron’s fiery eye from the Rings story. Rehaan, king of humans imprisons him after a decisive battle with the help of Gods, from where Zakfaar is rescued by the three witches who go by the names of Tashi, Talshi, Talmashi - some weird rhyming happening there!
Actually, if for nothing else, the show’s makers can take an award for conjuring the weirdest sounding names ever heard in fantasy fiction.
Zakfaar comes back from a far for revenge in a jiffy, as the story shifts gears onto its Harry Potter track of inspiration. Zakfaar kills Rehaan, but his son Arslaan is shifted to the safety of a school of special arts (read magic and valour) by the family’s pet dragon (a joke in the name of special effects) where he grows into a fine teen with a lady-love and a jealous Reggie to boot. Riverdale meets Potter school in the soap’s second track from where the aimless Arslaan graduates with a life’s goal - avenging the death of his parents (but naturally) by wiping out the threat of Zakfaar from whichever earth they all dwell in. And the adventures begin through crazy lands and crazier people that would put even the brave Arabian Nights’ sailor Sindbad’s encounters to shame.
The show’s writers have to be credited for churning a decently gripping story taking the best from their many inspirations. Most of the actors are functional though Mukul Dev fails to scare as a jean clad Ravana. Yes, the show’s makers, Sagar Arts continue with their Ramayan fixation. On the flip side, the costumes are a joke; the special effects (though better vis-à-vis the production house’s previous fantasy outings) are way behind global content in the genre with some of the long shots of palaces and kingdoms bearing more than a faint resemblance to city shots from the production house’s ongoing mythological Ramayan. But the biggest joke, undoubtedly are the names of its characters and places.Verdict
Irrespective of the obvious inspirations, it actually entertains in its scripting of an engaging adventure ride. Wish the special effects too had been, if not in the same league, but at least a quarter of its acclaimed inspirations.

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