I saw NDTV Imagine last night - it's available as part of the existing package on Tata Sky for now. But it is a huge, huge disappointment.
The 'Shava shava' show being advertised all over town is faltu. A bunch of semi-known TV stars are competing as singers. Kind of like a Nach Baliye with vocal chords. Karan Johar and Simi Garewal are the judges.
Even my 8 year old daughter, who loves all singing related shows is unwilling to watch. She thinks they are all besura.
As for Ramayana... it makes me shudder. First of all the show seems to be shot with yellow filter paper on the camera lens. The TV screen looks an orangey-yellow throughout.
The actors are the usual can-barely-act types stolen from K serial sets. The characterisation is weird. Kaikeyi is giggling like a schoolgirl as Manthara fills her ears with poison... The idea is to show she wasn't all that 'evil' but surely she could do it with more dignity.
All three queens are overly dressed, overly made-up. There is no power in the dialogue or presentation. It's melodrama and song sequences all the way.
Reviving the Ramayan was a great idea but the execution totally sucks.
The one silver lining in this cloud is Nachle Ve - a show where Saroj Khan teaches absolute novices how to dance. This, I think, will find an audience. Saroj ji is practical but makes the show interesting with her comments and observations - mostly on mistakes students are making on the show. But from time to time she addreses the home audience and even throws in asides on the stars who cannot dance to save their life - like Sunny paaji and Sanjay Dutt.
The show I caught, Saroj ji was teaching you how to do the 'Choli ke peechche' dance. And with her instructions it actually seems doable... :)
Chalo, ek show mein NDTV Imagine ne kuch imagination to dikhayi!
