The lure of reality TV…

Nowadays, every channel I turn to has a horde of reality shows. And Indians especially seem to have been bitten bad by the reality TV bug. I have to confess, at first it was just curiosity… now, I know I’m hooked.

Like in everything else, there are good shows and bad. One of my favorite shows is Sony TV’s “Comedy Circus”–a laugh riot through & through. Some acts are pure genius, like this one with Billo and this one with Shah Rukh Vs Aamir showdown. Shakeel, now a constant feature on the show, is unbelievable–more so, because it is obvious that much of it is unrehearsed, on-the-spot stand-up comedy. Archana Puran Singh is a phenomenon, I absolutely love her laugh. Parmeet methinks is a lucky man.

Another of my favorite shows has been Star Plus’ “Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar” (the grand finale is tonight !)… this show truly brings together some of the best new singers this country has seen. And the sheer talent of the contestants keeps me tuned in every week. This show is also different in that there have not been any over-the-top orchestrated scenes just to boost TRP… the participants are truly gifted, the judges are respectful & genuine and the contest is fiercely fought.

I’m also looking forward to Zee TV’s Sa Re Ga Ma Pa which started last week. This round brings together singers from India, Pakistan, Singapore, USA, UK and UAE–the inaugural rounds were a bit of a shock. The quality of singers is wonderful, it was hard to believe this was the first episode. My current favorite is Asma from Oman–the girl’s got a fabulous voice & a vivacious, unaffected personality. I must say I’m impressed with how far Aditya Narayan has come, he’s navigating some very tricky personalities & situations with great tact & a ready smile. In some ways, he’s like the Justin Timberlake of India–there’s an army of hormone-crazy tweens screaming his name out there somewhere. Tonight’s show had Asha Bhonsle as the special guest, one of the last living legends from an era where bollywood music really came into its own.

Himesh Reshammiya as usual is on some far-out ego trip in a parallel universe. I have watched this man in scores of episodes of reality TV, and I do not get him. If I were to psychoanalyze him, I’d say he has internalized some childhood trauma to a dangerous extent where he suffers simultaneously from persecution and entitlement complex, mistakenly believing that the world owes him a huge debt and that everyone is conspiring to keep him from attaining what is truly his. But then, I’m not a qualified psychologist so what do I know? *wink*wink 

Apparently, Himesh is composing, acting & singing in a soon-to-be-released movie (I’m guessing his hair-weave gone wrong is an attempt to be more acceptable as the main lead)… what is the world coming to?? On the aside, do watch the rerun of tonight’s show, the Himesh-Asha standoff snowballed into a free for all mudsling fest. Himesh outdid himself in offending everyone’s sensibilities and embarrassing the hell out of Asha Bhonsle. Actually, Asha Bhonsle did almost as good a job of embarrassing the hell out of everyone else…

What I’m loving about this show though, is that at the end of the day it’s a bunch of kids enjoying their day in the sun and doing what they love best. Win or lose, I hope they enjoy the ride.

Well, this self-indulgent post has hopefully gotten the reality TV bug out of my system. I’m going to take off now, Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar grand finale has just started and I wouldn’t wanna miss a sec… *grin *wink

My life in Singapore 2…

Continuing with the quirks of life in Singapore, you witness a strange phenomenon when you go to any foodcourt. Firstly, paper napkins are not offered at every outlet–so those who forget to carry their own will probably have to make sure they don’t need to use one. On empty table tops, you will see small packs of paper napkins placed as if to reserve the spot… and that’s exactly what they’re meant to do. Even now, I find this fascinating… that no one ever just moves those paper napkins and occupies a table, no matter how crowded the place. That line of decency is never crossed. It is the same when you stand in ATM queues… there’s no need to hunch over and cover your PIN coz the next person is standing atleast 3 feet behind you. By choice. As a courtesy.

I find myself bubbling with silent mirth when a taxi driver tells me the traffic situation in Singapore is pathetic and that the jams are horrible… coming from Gurgaon, where getting to office everyday was in itself an exercise in chance, I find it hilarious. How can anyone complain about a place where digital boards overhead show you exactly how many minutes it’s going to take you to go from where you are to your destination? And I mean EXACTLY.

Another very interesting sight, especially for any men reading this blog, is the sheer number of women of every age wearing shorts/ hotpants. It is probably just a step away from being declared the national dress. And the complete lack of neanderthals lusting after with lewd comments and catcalls. If eve-teasing exists, then it is hidden away in some corner. Again, coming from Gurgaon, this is a liberating change for me… to be able to walk around feeling comfortable and secure.

You must be wondering how is it that I have yet to find something I don’t like. Truth is, I don’t see it as a question of like or dislike. It is different… and right now, I’m in a phase where I’m loving the difference. The one thing I really, truly miss about India (apart from family and friends) is dhinchak bollywood… I never thought I’d be saying this, but I do. Now I see why there’s such a market overseas for Karan Johar movies.

Got some great news… I finally managed to convince my mom to spend longer than a couple of weeks with me. She’ll be coming over in August and staying till Diwali. Yay !

On that note, will close the entry for this week… more when it happens.