TELE BUZZ

BBC’s election coverage
Three PMs (Bajpai, Deve Gowda and Gujral) in eighteen months, oh yeah, that’s how dynamic the world’s largest democracy is. As we return to the ballot box yet again, BBC World, which was the most watched channel for coverage of the last general elections in 1996, spreads its net to catch the event live this time too. Starting February 16, BBC has already begun reporting on electoral issues like the public and private images of the main politicians, the public opinion in key states of India and the business of vote. They will also examine the prospects of the leading parties. Stephen Cole will bring The World Today and Asia Today live from Delhi while Prannoy Roy will devote three episodes of Question Time for debates on key issues concering the voters. And of course BBC will bring the election results live from the capital.

Rich and famous
Shefali Chayya is richer by Rs 50,000. No, she hasn’t hit the jackpot. It’s just that she bagged the Dabur Vatika Zee Woman of ’97 and the cash prize is a part of the booty. The talented actress charmed viewers with her dignified portrayal of Savi in Zee’s popular serial, Hasratein and won the popular vote.”Hasratein is a milestone in my career,” she points out. Rightly so, the serial after all has not only got her name, fame and money but has also brought her close to hubby dear, Harsh Chayya, who plays her on-screen lover, KT, in the serial.

Mamas Boogie Woogie
While all other shows gushed over matters of the heart on Valentine Day, Boogie Woogie, the dance contest show, devoted their valentine special to dancing mamas. And the three swinging finalists well in their 40s and 50s wowed the audience. As the moms donned their dancing shoes, their family members looked on proudly. Prerana, the lady with the twinkle toes who walked away with the first prize, is no ordinary mama. She has brought up her two kids single-handedly after her husband’s untimely demise. The lady sure is a winner all the way. Thanks Naaved and Ravi for showing us what an amazing species these mamas are!

Ramakrishna Paramhamsa resurrected
Photojournalist Praveen Naik, a devout disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramhamsa, has realised his long cherished dream of producing a seven-part bio-pic of the saint in Kannada. It took him just a month to shoot the entire serial depicting the life and preachings of Ramakrishna. Lipton tea model Lakshmi Gopalswamy plays the role of goddess Kali, Bharthi Vishnuvardhan of Purab Aur Paschim fame plays Bhairavi Brahmini while Praveen himself enacts the title role. Praveen is keen that the labour of his love is telecast on DD so it has a wider reach.

Not so chhoti
Priyanka Mehra, the chirpy li’l thing who won the hearts of televiewers with her antics as the youngest of Ashok Saraf’s brood on Hum Paanch, is not so chhoti any longer. We ran into this young lady at her dad, Umesh Mehra’s bash at the audio release of his latest venture, Qila. Priynaka is very much the smart cookie she plays in the serial. She chatted up the stars merrily and complimented them liberally on their gowns and suits. When asked why she's been missing from the serial this long, she shrugged, pouted, pondered and grimaced, ”Oh, I haven’t shot with them for a while — what with school and other things that take up so much of my time.” This gappu chhoti really does baaten badi badi.

Diwali spirit lingers on ...
It’s deeyas and fire-crackers time on Zee’s on-going family-fun-n’-fracas session Banegi Apni Baat. The makers, Deeya and Tony Singh, seem to be still having a hangover of the festival of lights. Shefali Chayya, Girish Malik, Rituraj, Divya Seth and the rest of the BAB gang started their on-screen Diwali celebrations, a couple of months too late and are still not ready to get out of the festive mood. Their merry-making has extended well over six episodes. We have heard of better late than never, but the BAB gang is late and going on forever.

Tom’s altered image
Looks like Tom Alter has gone in for a complete change of image for the forthcoming sitcom Burre Phanse. How else do you explain this comic get-up of his,twirled muchhi, bushy eyebrows, baggy fatigues, et al? To catch the usually suave and savvy actor-commentator-MC in this unusually ludicrous get-up of Col Ranjit, you will have to tune into the soon-to-be-aired rib-tickler featuring Ajit Vachchani and Asawari Joshi as his idiotic neighbours. The world’s sure getting funnier.

Simi Garewal tops
With all her panache and poise, Simi Garewal has managed to draw celebrities out of their shells in her half hourly Rendezvous... on STAR every Friday night. Ratan Tata, Shobha and Dilip De, Sushmita Sen and Vikram Bhatt, Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi, Mahesh Bhupati and Leander Paes, Subhash Ghai and Mahima — she draws her guest list straight out of India’s who’s who. Not surprising then, she has viewers sitting up to watch her show. With the Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan episode last week, Rendezvous With Simi Garewal soared to unprecedented heights of popularity. It grabbed the numero uno position on STAR, the first English show that has enjoyed this honour since the channel went bilingual. Well Simi, that's great going.

Here’s Meenakshi
Meenakshi Sheshadri is all set to pop up on the small-screen,
a la Lucille Ball, in a proposed sitcom to be produced by Ashok Shekhar of Parivartan fame. The producer had initially approached Sridevi who had liked the role immensly, but for unspecified reasons had conveyed her regrets to the producer. He then zeroed down on Meenakshi Sheshadri, the talented actress who’s been concentrating more on her dancing of late. Here’s Lucy had Lucille’s chutzpah, spontaenity and vivacity. Let’s see what the desi version has to offer other than Meenakshi’s star presence.