लापता गंज

घटिया टी.वी. सीरिअल्स और रिअलिटी टी.वी. की लगातार बढ़ती भीड़ के बीच इधर बहुत समय बाद एक बहुत प्यारा सा धारावाहिक देखने को मिल रहा है - लापतागंज.

सब टी.वी. पर रोजाना रात्रि १० बजे दिखाये जाने वाला यह सीरियल हमारे समय के एक तीखे व्यंगकार कवि, पत्रकार, नाटककार और संवाद लेखक - शरद जोशी की छोटी छोटी व्यंगात्मक कहानियों पर आधारित है.

धारावाहिक के केंद्र में एक छोटा कस्बा है - लापतागंज जो कि बिहार और उत्तर-प्रदेश के बीच कहीं स्थित लगता है और यहाँ रहने वाले पात्र, जो कमो-बेश पूरे हिंदुस्तान में कहीं भी हो सकते हैं. 

आज जबकि करीब करीब सारा मीडिया और फिल्में शहरी बातें करते नजर आते हैं, यह धारावाहिक असली हिंदुस्तान यानी कि छोटे गाँव और कस्बों के सरोकारों के, वहां के पात्रों की बात उन्ही की भदेस किस्म की जबान में करता है, जो कि एक ताज़ा हवा की तरह है. 

और यकीन मानिए, मैं यह रोमानी हो कर नहीं कह रहा हूँ. आज इस बात की बहुत ज्यादा जरूरत है कि हम शहरों में रहने वाले लोग हिंदुस्तान के दिल - यहाँ के गाँव और कस्बों को समझने की कोशिश करें न कि उन्हें ही भोंडे किस्म के शहर बनाने पे तुल जायें. 

शरद जोशी की लेखनी, जिसने हमें बहुत सी फिल्मों के संवाद दिए हैं (दिल है के मानता नहीं, उत्सव आदि), बहुत नाटक (मशहूर नाटक एक था गधा उर्फ़ अल्लादाद खान इन्ही का है)  और उपन्यास (हम भ्रष्टन के, भ्रष्ट हमारे आदि ) दिए हैं, इस धारावाहिक की जान है - इसके संवादों और स्क्रिप्ट के रूप में. और इस के सभी कलाकार अपने सरल अभिनय से एक निर्दोष हास्य पैदा करते हैं, जो न केवल गुदगुदाता है बल्कि अपने व्यंग की तीखी मार से हमें कचोटता भी है. लेकिन सबसे बड़ी बात - हमें हर हाल में खुश रहने का और अपने आप पर हंस सकने का माद्दा भी देता है.

इसी धारावाहिक के एक लोकप्रिय पात्र "कछुआ चाचा" की तर्ज़ में कहूं तो - कभी कभी यह देखा भी जाता है, कभी कभी यह देखा नहीं भी जाता है, पर पसंद बहुत आता है. 

Bigg Boss

When it started, Bigg Boss – the reality TV show – was somewhere at the top of my “most hated TV programs” list – voyeurism at its worst. In its 3^rd season, however, I am surprised, even a little bit ashamed I admit, that I am hooked on to Bigg Boss! I now find it among the most interesting programs on the telly!

I understand an explanation is due.

The initial ice-breaker was the new host Amitabh Bachchan who for me upped the credibility of the show. It seems to me that the general flippancy abounding in the earlier shows has been replaced by a certain gravitas, even though studiously manufactured.

But more than that, it is the format which I have now started seeing in a new light. I earlier considered it no more than putting a few celebrities together and enjoy their shenanigans.

As I watched however, I have been increasingly fascinated of this unique psychological laboratory where human subjects, completely shorn of their celebrity status, act and react to real and imagined pressure cooker situations. Of course, like all reality TV, much of it must be manufactured reality but even then, it is done quite subtly.

Of course, one last and important reason is the participants themselves, all of whom are quite interesting this time. Of course, beneath their different personalities, quirks and idiosyncrasies, they reiterate how similar all human beings are, how we value ourselves more than anything or anyone else and how we love to see others fall.

Any guesses on who would be the winner this time?

Oye Its Farhan's Friday!

I am not an avid watcher of TV but even with my limited viewing, the inverse relationship of quality and quantity is not hard to miss.
Whether it is a reality show (frightening, really!!), some silly soap, news or even interviews, mostly the content on the telly is downright dumb.
It is in this context that the variety show “Oye Its Friday!” hosted by Farhan Akhtar quite simply stands out for its refreshing brilliance, seen on the TV after a long time.
Although it is technically a variety show, a major part is about Farhan interviewing the guests, leading to an inevitable comparison with earlier chat-shows of Simi Garewal and Karan Johar, other filmi insiders interviewing their fraternity.
I remember Simi as being positively mannequin-ish & maudlin, and Karan as very stylish and intelligent. Both, however, were overbearing – the former most of the time and the latter some of it.
In contrast, Farhan is sheer fun. His intelligence and delightful tongue-in-cheek humour permeates through the scripted lines, so visible in his clever turn of phrase and efficient wordplay (with Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani as his parents, can you expect anything different?). And, it is delightful to watch his unpretentiousness and masti quotient inevitably get to the guest. The episodes with Shahrukh and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy were simply crackling with energy.
Adding to it is the ensemble of various interesting garnishing items like gags, songs, dances, instrument recitals, rope tricks, acrobats, what–have–you.
In short – good conceptualizing and even better presentation. Talking about the Indian telly, a rarity indeed!

Laugh, we?

I generally am not very much enthusiastic about watching TV. When I am back from work, I just catch whatever is on at dinner-time The surfeit of scandalous news, mushy soaps, even more mushy reality talent-hunts and mostly inane movies is nothing to look forward to.
There is one program, though, which I have lately been immensely interested in & try not to miss and therefore finds mention here – The Great Indian Laughter Champions, the stand-up comedy talent hunt program on Start One, Friday nights at 10 pm. I’ll tell you why I am so fond of it.
We are a society with a perpetual sullen countenance. I do not know whether it is the collective weight of our history & religious beliefs or the undue premium we place on the serious and somber, we Indians have lately forgotten to laugh at ourselves.
You don’t believe me? Next time you go out, try throwing some humorous comment or response to the people around you – your shopkeeper, doctor, banker, kid’s teachers, government officials. The first reaction would be of disbelief, followed probably by a guarded snigger. There are very few people who have the ability and inclination to appreciate good humour in everyday life.
This program has really tickled the proverbial funny bone of our society and rekindled this art of laughing at ourselves, which would, I hope, go a long way in making more civilized people of us. We need more such programs.
Now, I agree that there are various other comedy sitcoms on telly. But this is different because of the format. Apart from the occasional Shekhar Suman or Sajid Khan, we have never had a stand-up comedian being appreciated for some intelligent lines rather than a slap-stick situation. And in our movies also, it is only recently that good comedy has been recognized as an acting genre in itself and not a side-function of the hero vs villain story.
You think I am haranguing a bit more than warranted about a “thakela” TV show? Then let me hear what you have to say, please!