NDTV, the acquainted newcomer

It has not been very long, not long enough to be out of my memory, when after every news hour on Star News, one of the best news channels of that time, we used to see two parallel, glowing lines, moving to write NDTV, and then the Star sign followed with the usual 'this is star and you are watching star news' etc. Then suddenly in April '04, Star News started looking different, as the contract of Star with the NDTV was over and NDTV had left Star to start its own news channel.

This was the start of NDTV 24x7 and NDTV India, the English and Hindi news channels of the NDTV group. And then NDTV started Profit, another channel that gave business news. That was all NDTV was expected to do. But last year, in September, NDTV came into something new. It joined hands with the UB group (of Vijay Mallya) and started a lifestyle channel called NDTV Good Times. The channel is not very attrcating though, still there are some things worth watching like the 'Lounge' presnted by actor-director Rajat Kapoor.

And this time, NDTV did something not-that-unexpected, but in an incredible style. It started NDTV Imagine, an entertainment channel, expected, but the programs it brought with it made all the difference. In this era of reality shows, a reality show called 'Say Shaava Shaava' was fine. But it started 'Ramayan' too. The super super popular show of its time, the dharm and sanskriti show that used to hold the Indian masses 20 years ago, was re-launched by the same people (the Sagars) in an altogether new look. This was something that holds the capacity to bring NDTV Imagine in majority of homes, especially in rural and town areas. In fact I think Ramayan will be able to get audiences from everywhere, at least in the start. And it seems Ramayan will be able to find many of its viewers coming from the regular saas-bahu audiences, thus harming the Star.

Anyways, I just hope the competition gets tougher and we get better, good quality programs.

Amen.

Simply Rajat

He acts. And he directs. He talks. And he listens. He plays a host to take up topics that need to be discussed but hardly ever are. A person who is almost a celebrity today - a celebrity in the making - actor, director, host - Rajat Kapoor.

Rajat Kapoor to me was yet another character artist when I started identifying with him, around the time when 'Corporate' came. But it was 'Bheja Fry' that made me know his name, not to forget again. Then, I saw 'Mixed Doubles' directed by him where he had acted too and I was sure Rajat was a person always looking for something new to do. And this time he is there, again, with his yet another 'different' movie 'Mithya'.

And then there was 'Lounge', a program that re-established his identity in my mind. The actor-director Rajat was seen in a different look, performing a different role in Lounge on NDTV Good Times. In fact this was the only program on the channel that caught my eye. Here Rajat plays host for a show where topics of social importance and relations are taken up. The two topics I followed were 'effect of children on romance' and 'adoption of children', the latter including important points like how and when should the adopted children be told the truth about them.

Truly speaking, I found the show one of the best talk shows I have seen and I would like to recommend it to people who like serious stuff.

And this time Mr Kapoor is coming in yet another new avatar. He is hosting the 'Lufthansa Nat Geo Genius' on the National Geographic Channel. The show is an Indian version of an internationally acclaimed quiz show and will search for the person who knows the most about each and every country in the world.

Well, all I can say for now is, keep watching what more he has in his bag.

For his small autobiography, you can see his page:

http://www.rajatkapoor.com/