The 4th episode was the directors special, featuring- the celebrated triumvirate with a golden run at the BO- Farah Khan, Raju Hirani and Imitiaz Ali. While no intellectually stimulating conversations are expected out of a coffee talk show, hosted by a successful director of over the top, extravagant and ostentatious mainstream commercial cinema in tinselville, one does wish for better standards in such genres on the small screen.
No comparisons can ever be fair and no point wasting words over it but I was looking forward to some food for thought from some of the biggest filmmakers of this decade. By themselves the 3 brought a certain amount of gaiety and good humor into the proceedings, but it still felt being left high and dry. K Jo barely scratched the surface unlike the episodes featuring celebrities who were churning out enough drama offscreen to keep the gossip mills running.
Startling revelations, candid confessions and potential scandals is what this season seems to seek and thrive on. Agreed, KJo is an integral part of the filmy fraternity and hence he is already an insider, knows his guests , his style is becoming all too familiar and repetitive, his near perfect diction and poise marred by silly giggles and gayish behavior seeming too full of himself.
In the directors special episode, Hirani shared how life changed after the iconic Munnabhai, the impact the movie had in terms of the social message and on a personal note, thanks to the "Gandhigiri " notion how he was served only pineapple/orange juice at parties.
The dashing and handsome Ali spoke of his little known " Socha Na Tha" and his journey through Love Aaj Kal. The 3 directors bring to us diverse forms of cinema and exchange of ideas on the formula for what works and doesnt work at BO salvaged my interest which was definitely headed southward.
Moving to the episode that followed bringing together the much hyped much talked about our very own Brangelina couple- Saifeena.One word- Boring. The two are way too starry eyed and very much in love and full of praise for each other, even ridiculously arrogant. So lets leave them with that and hope Kareena has some senses knocked into that pretty head of hers. Before she takes digs at her peers she should know her own success rate at BO isnt exactly glowing. Strictly personal view, stop coming across as a dumb blonde and get rid of that attitude. The Chote Nawab is blue blood and Kareena is blue eyed and that entitles them to have certain airs but needs to be kept in check. The hamper was deservedly won by Saif for his restrained but witty responses. Dont believe the trailer it wasnt all that it was being made out to be. And, Piggy chops has ofcourse scored with her reactions that were splashed across tabloids and newsfeed in nondescript channels.
And yesterday, it was the evergreen , moustached Anil Kapoor with Sanjay ' Rocky' Dutt and a made up, cakey Kangana Ranaut. It was a lively chat sprinkled with laughter and god natured humor that emanates from being in the industry for as long as they have and been through major-minor upheavels placed strategically in their respective careers. The Dixit factor drew some chuckles too. Nonetheless, it was more of a studied and /or rehearsed act, given that all 3 guests decided to play it safe and refuse to let anything slip from the lip that could spell controversy.
Anil spoke of how he was rejected when he auditioned for the role of Sanjay's friends in Rocky and then again in Swami dada by Dev Anand. He also elaborates on his new innings with H wood in MI 4. He was at his Jhakkas candid best and the most entertaining one on the set. Sanjay steered clear of stating anything that could become fodder for filmy magazines and gossip mongers. Good for him, with a not so clean slate to speak of his demeanor can only mean common sense.
The usually outspoken Kangana on the other hand decide to play demure in her flowing, leg baring , stylish yellow gown and kept those bee stung (read collagen injection) lips mum while clearing the air on the rumors surrounding her personal life with clipped responses. While the accent war is on , one cant help notice how weird Kangana's is.Not to be nasty or demeaning but she could work on it just like she did on her lithe-then-voluptuous -now frame.
Cricket and Bollywood, together, are the single biggest mode of entertainment in this country and also constitutes the celebrities/ P3P's strata of the society, and the two are often intertwined. Hence, to be able to manage a chat show with soaring TRP, the production houses put their weight behind either the inhabitants of B Town or sporting heroes or simply anyone who is the toast of the season (read in news for reasons, right or wrong).
To lament on the state of affairs of the small screen is a drain on my grey cells. Let the sleeping dogs lie, for now.
