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Another article from Midday

I have lost 10 kg: Ruprekha
By: Shaheen Parkar
December 10, 2005

Along with Qazi Touqeer, Ruprekha Banerjee bagged the Fame Jodi crown in Sony's Fame Gurukul. Qazi may be living it to the hilt, but success seems to have weighed Ruprekha down. She has lost oodles of weight, and now flaunts a trim, new look.

No ghar ka khana

"I have shed 10 kilos since my first day on the show," she says. And Ruprekha is not complaining about this blessing in disguise. "I am not dieting, gymming or exercising.

The hectic rehearsals, promotions and concerts have made me shed all the excess weight," she says. Add to the fact that she is now based in Mumbai, away from home in Kolkata; so homemade Bengali food is sorely missed.

Gurukul viewers will recall Ruprekha as a portly, bushy-haired contestant from Kolkata, who was called moti by co-contestant Rex D'Souza. "Yes, I had quite a few nicknames, even though I am called Pinky at home. Rex and the rest of the participants used to tease me. But now I am making them all eat their words."

The winner does not want to make her new look a big issue. "During the Gurukul days, we all had a makeover done at Adhuna Akhtar's b:blunt salon; it was like a new me. I wondered what my parents would think about it.

As we are performing, we get to wear all the fancy outfits and accessories."

Staying back

Ruprekha is now making herself comfortable in Mumbai. She has taken up rented accommodation at Vile Parle. "My parents keep coming down to Mumbai, as I will be based here for the moment." Ruprekha has an elder married sister, Payal, who stays in Kolkata.

"I am looking at a career in playback singing," she says. At present, along with Qazi, she is busy promoting their music album Qazi, Ruprekha — Jodi No 1, released by Sony BMG Music, with lyrics by Sameer and music by Prem Pal and Hardip Sidhu. "I don't want to act, just sing for films," she emphasises. Ruprekha has already sung a stanza for a Bengali film, and the title track for Bangla serial.

Ask her about Rex, and she says, "There was nothing like that; there was no pairing and all that. Rex loved to joke around to lighten up those Gurukul moments. We were all just contestants, and the best won."

Surprise packages of the year


No one expected them to outshine their peers, but they did, and how! Tellychakkar.com takes a look at the underdogs, the unknowns and the unsung at the beginning of the year, who turned up heroes at the end of 2005!


Qazi Toqueer


20 October, 2005 was a day that will be remembered in the entertainment industry as the day Qazi Toqueer was crowned King! The guy with the disheveled locks, a confused aim in life and a surprising lack of sur and taal was declared the winner of Sony's reality show, Fame Gurukul. In a few months time, the frank and outspoken Qazi became the heartthrob of millions, even outshining Rex D'souza, who had made quite a mark with his performance and charisma. If this was not all, Qazi's name has now becone synonymous with the X-factor!!!!

Rajesh Kumar


Rajesh Kumar was last seen as Kkusum's good for nothing bro in Sony's show of the same name. But this year was bonanza time for the actor, who not only bagged Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, but has also become a rage with his portrayal of the upmarket spoilt rich mamma's boy, Rosesh. After playing a psycho in Sony's Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka and an almost forgettable character in Kksum, this is Rajesh's first real brush with stardom! And his crowning glory is his role in Ba Bahoo Aur Baby in which we can see the actor in an altogether different character! So Rajesh definitely qualifies as one of the most sought after surprise package of the year!




Rupali Ganguly
Rupali Ganguly seems to have perfected the art of illogical banter! She has re-discovered herself as the babbling dim witted Monisha in Star One's Sarabhai vs Sarabhai and this is one act that's got everybody talking! Daughter of acclaimed director, Anil Ganguly, Rupali has no doubt made the transition from the wily Dr Simran of Sanjivani to the middle-class bahu! What more could an artiste ask for?

Pooja Ghai Rawal



Suhasi of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, had disappeared from the small screen for quite some time. But now the lady is back with a vengeance. Besides hosting Sony's recently concluded Shikhar, Pooja has some very interesting projects in her kitty, including Aroona Irani's Rabba Ishq Na Hove, and also a powerful cameo in Jassi and not to forget she was the new face in Siddhanth as a lawyer's love. With more serials coming her way, the young woman's career is rocking like never before. When Suhasi's track didn't work out in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, without losing hope she waited and endurance showed. Within a year's time, Pooja Ghai has reached the peak of her career.


The Great Indian Laughter Challenge



Nobody ever thought of a show like The Great Indian Laughter Challenge before Star One hit upon the idea. Now, it has set the stage for others to catch on with the trend. The show is the brain child of Pankaj Saraswat who has designed and executed the entire content. A number of shows have started walking on the same path now. The episode telecast on 16 October 2005, crowned Sunil Pal of Nagpur as the Comic King. Joined by the inimitable Navjot Singh Sidhu and Shekhar Suman, The Great Indian Laughter Champions will most probably in future too, make viewers laugh and giggle till they cry.

By CHIKITA KUKREJA Posted on 16 December 2005 6:00 pm

Year Ender Archives

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http://www.tellychakkar.com/y2k5/yr_end/dec/16dec/yearend_su rprise_package.php

Dial F for fame

A.L.Chougule
Posted online: Friday, December 16, 2005 at 0000 hours IST

As the race to capture eyeballs hots up, channel heads are scouring international game shows and talent hunts to hook audience that wants a shot at fame and fortune. Undoubtedly telephone connectivity, particularly the vast rural connect, is the major reason for reality shows setting TV screen on fire. Nothing will stop youngsters from dreaming big because they have seen money raining, contracts pouring in, lifestyles changing and addresses switching...
Qazi Tauqeer, Ruprekha Bannerjee, Rex D'Souza, Sunil Pal, Abhijeet Sawant, Amit Sana, Ravindra Upadhyay... Not long ago, these names would not have evoked any response. But in a matter of few months, from being faceless Indians, these youngsters have taken a ride to fortune and become a part of fame folklore that's growing everyday. As channels press the buttons of their programming remote for more game and talent hunt shows the emotionally volatile audience is ready to create new television celebrities out of ordinary people.

Hitherto, the most popular TV celebrities were Tulsi, Parvati, Om, Pallavi, Kkusum, Kumkum and so on. Of course these popular characters are still part of the fame lexicon but the real names of reality television are rubbing shoulders with fictional names. In entertainment, change is a slow process. But what is happening today is nothing short of an explosion. Saas, bahus, bhabhis and mistresses are very much there. But it is reality or interactive TV that is making more headlines as people participate in contests either directly and become celebrities or win prizes or by making calls/sending SMSes to make their favourite participants win. It is as if with reality shows, channels, telecom operators and participants have suddenly discovered a pot of gold.

With audiences having had enough of serials, channel heads are scouring international shows for programming formats. Ever since KBC made winning easy with fair bit of general knowledge, luck, encouragement and support from its compassionate anchor, what has helped reality TV bounce back with vengeance is the telecom revolution. In 2000 when KBC went on air there were only 3.30 crore landlines and mobile telephones were beyond common man's reach. Today the teledensity stands at 11 crore - five crore landlines and six crore cell phones. In 305 episodes KBC 1 got 10 crore calls whereas in 55 of the 85 episodes aired KBC 2 has got nine crore calls/SMSes so far. What's more, of the nine crore calls, 75 per cent are from non-metros. The picture is equally rosy for Sony's talent hunt shows Indian Idol and Fame Gurukul with 5.5 crore calls/SMSes and 5 crore calls/SMSes respectively. SaharaOne's Dial One Aur Jeeto has had eight crore calls over 133 episodes whereas 12 lakh people have played Zee TV's Houzee in as many episodes. This year alone, the total revenue from phone calls and SMSes is reportedly around Rs. 100 crore.

Undoubtedly, telephone connectivity, particularly the vast rural connect, is the major reason for reality shows setting TV screen on fire. It is as if the viewers have been empowered like never before, whether it is by voting for their favourites, winning booty every week or by transforming themselves into stars/celebrities overnight. "Interactivity in today's age of telecommunications is the 'in' thing since it's become so much easier to communicate. Viewer involvement, that seemed impossible till some time back, has suddenly become easy," says Zee's programming vice-president Ashvini Yardi. "The viewer wants to be involved and that's possible today with telephones, SMS and also the Internet."

Suddenly television is changing lives of ordinary people from small cities and towns. It is giving them a chance to strike a pot of gold and become stars. Stardom, usually an urban phenomenon accessible to progenies of rich and famous, has been thrown open to masses and people want to emulate the new stars of television created by reality shows. Not for nothing, over million people called to register for series 2 of Indian Idol. It is as if reality shows, as Miditech's (producer of both Indian Idol and Fame Gurukul) CEO Nikhil Alva says, are a short cut to fame. According to Sony's creative director Anupama Mandoloi, reality shows are truly aspirational. "In fiction shows you watch your characters living a life that you seek or be a person you wish to be. In a reality show your favourites walk away with prize money that changes their lifestyle for sure and it is the viewers who make this possible. They decide who gets the prize money, they put down those who fall from favour, build those who resonate with core values of humility, talent and essentially middle class values. The viewers watch their favourites undergoing a process of change; makeovers et al and this is not make believe. It's for real," elaborates Anupama.

Adds Ashvini, "Viewers' involvement automatically leads to the popularity of the show or genre. Today the viewer has the option of voting in his favourite contestant or voting out someone who he does not like too much. They have the power of realigning the outcome according to their likes and dislikes. That explains the success of reality shows."

As reality shows make common people's opinion count and make a difference, it is as if entertainment democracy is giving everyone a chance to dream, support, vote or be a star, even if each call costs Rs. 2.40 and each SMS Rs. 6. If the audience saved Qazi nine times from danger zone it speaks volumes about the extent of interest, participation and support the contestants get. That's the key difference between a fictional and reality show. The difference is the extent of participation it allows viewers. They shape and change the destiny of the people on the show and to the viewers it is to a large extent like playing godfather. The governing factor, in Ashvini's opinion, is the involvement the audience has with the show/channel. "Viewers are so involved that there is a commitment that they have towards the channel and towards themselves, to make their favourite contestant win," she feels. Anupama adds, "Audiences own the icons they create. When an Abhijeet Sawant performs on stage you can see the audience actually taking pride in having brought him this far. They feel a sense of ownership in having created him, changed his life and so for them he will always be special."

Not that reality television is a complete new discovery. It's been there for over two decades. But it's gone through huge makeover - big set, hype, promotion, marketing, road shows, fierce competition, greed and determination to make it to high pedestal of fame and fortune at any cost. What existed earlier was spirit of competition, gift hampers and in some cases blessing of gurus. Way back in mid-'80s DD had Siddhartha Basu's Quiz Time. Zee's launch in end 1992 witnessed spate of reality/interactive shows like Snakes and Ladders, Chakravyuh, Tol Mol Ke Bol and the immensely popular Antakshiri and Sa Re Ga Ma. Even DD Metro had its own reality show in Metro Dhamaka. What's more, after a flip-flop start, Ekta Kapoor also began her innings with a clone of Antakshiri called Dhoom Dhamaka. But KBC changed the face and rules of reality programming.

Sawal Dus Crore Ka, Chhappad Phaad Ke, Khullja Sim Sim, Kamzor Kadii Kaun?, Kisme Kitna Hai Dum, Kahin Naa Kahin Koi Hai followed. Some were hits and others missed the ride of popularity and were dumped. Then KBC was rested for long period and shorter rest followed for Khullja Sim Sim. The second half of 2004 saw reality shows bouncing back with Indian Idol and subsequently Fame Gurukul, KBC 2, Super Sale and The Great Indian Laughter Challenge. What was thought to be a dead cat bounce after a long bearish phase, turned out to be a long bullish trend backed by strong momentum that is making new highs vis--vis Bombay Stock Exchange's Sensex. It is hardly surprising that the genre's popularity has turned TV celebrity couples into ordinary mortals trying their best on the dance floor for audience's approval to win Rs. 50 lakh in prize money in Star One's Nach Baliye where competition has been too tough and pressure has taken its toll on friendship between couples with the show's rising popularity.

Yet five years ago channels were not too keen on reality programming, treating it as penny business in the vast market of fictional shows. Alva brothers know it too well. With their vast experience in reality TV with serious shows like Living on the Edge (DD) and Hospital (BBC) when the duo approached channels with reality show ideas the response they got was Indians don't want more reality, they have enough of it already in their day-to-day lives. Five years later the tide has turned completely.

Big cruises of family dramas have lost their customers to mini ships that promise a roller-coaster ride of excitement, prizes, money, goodies and fame. "In the past few years channels have been so soap-heavy that there was no differentiator left," says Nikhil. "People were hungry for a different set of programming." Anupama doesn't disagree, "The growing fatigue among viewers has been replaced by a new found appetite for a new genre. Reality television has broken through the clutter and has appealed to viewers across the board. It lends itself to greater interactivity, involvement and a sense of ownership that has not been seen so far. It augurs a new phase for television and that is evident from the number of similar shows across television."

Clearly reality/interactive shows are giving their prime time fictional rivals a run for their money. However, Ashvini holds slightly different view, "Both are equally popular and have their set of loyal viewers. Soaps are a staple diet, reality TV is like special food that is cooked... you can't eat specials everyday you need your daily dal chawal but surely the balance, at least for present, is tilting in favour of special food going by the demand and supply rule. As Fame Gurukul ended last month Sony followed it with a two-week stunt called Celebrity Fame Gurukul to keep the action going. The slot continued to see more action for another two weeks with Das Ke Das Le Gaye Dil before finally launching Indian Idol and Deal Ya No Deal. So is reality TV here to stay? According to Anupama, it is here to stay for a while. But Ashvini is more upbeat, "Definitely it's here to stay. We also have our biggest property of the year Kam Ya Zyaada that we launched last week. The stakes are as high as Rs. 3 crores of prize money to the winner."

What's more, even business news channels CNBC-TV 18 and Awaaz have followed the path of mass entertainment channels with Kaun Rahega Crorepati. Cashing in on KBC's popularity the business news channels' game show features winners of KBC who get right advice from experts on how and where to invest and make their money grow.

As telephone to TV connectivity increases, more so in non-metro cities and small towns, nothing will stop star-struck youngsters from taking a shot at spotlight and fortune. They have seen contracts and cash pouring in, lives changing, and addresses switching. Take the case of Ravinder Ravi, the house painter from Ludhiana. He was booked to paint houses every Diwali.

Though he didn't make it as Indian Idol, this Diwali he was booked, not to paint houses but for music concerts. His career is on the roll. He reportedly charges Rs. 75,000 for a show and rubs shoulders with Kumar Sanu and Sunidhi Chauhan. Paint companies to promote their brands are also wooing him. Abhijeet Sawant won a Rs. 1 crore contract with Sony and the other top five contestants are on Rs. 20 lakh contracts each with the channel. In a state traumatized by terrorism, Qazi dreamed stardom that has changed his life forever. So also is the case with Barsha Baishali, the 21-year-old IAS aspirant from Orissa who won Rs. 25 lakh on KBC 2. In KBC 1 Rs. 25 crore were given away in prize money and in KBC 2 nearly Rs. 8 crore so far. It's raining money and who would not like to dial for a pot of cash?

Ready, steady, donate

Karishma Upadhyay
Sunday, December 18, 2005 22:50 IST

There's less than a month to go for the Mumbai marathon and the list of participating celebrities for the 7 km 'Dream Run' is growing by the day. The list features the likes of MP Milind Deora, singer Suchitra Krishnamoorty, adman Piyush Pandey along with sister Ila Arun and niece Ishita Arun.

Those representing the telly world include some cast members of 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi' like Sudha Shivpuri and Mona Vasu and Ajay Gehi from 'Milli' along with the winners of 'Fame Gurukul' Kazi Touqeer and Rooprekha Bannerjee.

Preparing for their third run are Rohit and Manasi Joshi Roy. "Normally, I run 5 km on the treadmill every day, so 7 km is not going to be tough. Now that there's just a month left before the marathon, I have started running on the road to condition myself," says Rohit who prefers training in evenings. The Roys charity of choice is the NGO - ROKO Cancer, which is also being supported by Tiger Shroff (Jackie Shroff's son) and others.

After filling the forms last year, ad-filmmaker Prasoon Pandey didn't run the marathon. "I had returned that morning from London and so I couldn't run." This time around Prasoon is running for Anand Jyot, an eye hospital. And his training schedule? "I have been drinking a lot," he laughs, before adding, "On the rare occasions that I do exercise, I run for about 5-6 km, so 7 shouldn't be a problem.

Representing the sports frat is the retired badminton champion Prakash Pandukone. "Last year I participated in the Bangalore marathon, which was my first. I'm looking forward to running in Mumbai this year. It should be fun simply because I won't be competing against anyone. I still play a li'l squash and badminton every day, so I don't think I really need to train," says Prakash.

Rest of the gang
Gulshan Grover
Niranjan Hiranandani
Mandira Bedi
Apoorva Agnihotri
Purab Kohli
Milind Soman
Bikram Saluja

Straight Answers
SHAMBHU SAHU
[ Sunday, December 18, 2005 09:10:08 pmTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]

Manav gohil, Television actor, on his career as an actor and an anchor.

You have done both acting and anchoring. What do you enjoy more?

Both have their own attributes. Acting is comparatively easier than anchoring because you can have re-takes to improve your performance, but anchoring has to be done in a single shot.

During anchoring you have to be spontaneous and must interact with the audience. It's a job with a lot of responsibility but while I have enjoyed doing both, anchoring has given me more satisfaction.

Did you feel any apprehension in anchoring a talent hunt show similar to the one anchored by Aman Verma?

No. The format of my show, Fame Gurukul was bought from Spain and was very different in its presentation.

Moreover, anchoring is a lucrative option now though it's still not as big as it should be. Besides, it's a good break from the glycerine-dripping roles. But that doesn't mean that I find them demeaning.

Do you think TV will evolve in the future?
Yes. Infact, it's already evolving. It's no longer limited to saas-bahu soaps as reality shows are coming up big time on the small screen.

In other words, TV is big today and reality bigger. The success of the medium can be gauged by the fact that so many film makers are now turning to TV to promote their films.

What's your take on the controversy surrounding Qazi's selection?

Qazi has a lot of conviction and wanted to do something in his life. Though I personally never considered him as good a singer as Rex or Arijeet, he has the X-factor to cheer and entertain the audience, which other participants didn't have.

There are very few people who have the perfection to cater to audiences.

Vintage beauties
As visitors to the Assam Mahotsav admired his collection, Deka reflected on the "long journey" since he started assembling it.

"I have had to travel extensively to bring each of the beauties home. It has been a tough job but a fully satisfying one," he said.

Most of the bikes are olive-green, proclaiming their military background.

Tridip Bordoloi, president of the organising committee, said so many vintage motorbikes were being exhibited for the first time in Jorhat.

Apart from the motorbike display, the organisers roped in singer Rex D' Souza from the television reality show Fame Gurukul to perform on stage this evening.

On Saturday, artistes from the Samoguri Satra of Majuli will stage a mukha bhaona, which is a traditional play where all the actors wear masks.

Special programmes have been arranged for children, too, with the accent on traditional games that are played in the villages.

"We want to offer visitors various options on all 10 days of the festival," Bordoloi said.

Ten trends that shaped India this year

Photograph: Courtesy Star One

1. Reality shows: Look ma, I'm a star!

Once upon a time in India, to be a celebrity, you needed to consult your family soothsayer and wear the right rings to emit the right vibes.

Then, this year, a phenomenon called reality television, which had been sputtering for a while, exploded.

Millions went gaga over Fame Gurukul winner Qazi Tauqeer, a boy from strife-torn Kashmir who danced all night in front of his bedroom mirror and daydreamed of stardom. Millions thumbed cell phone messages to vote Abhijeet Sawant, a singer from a very middle-class Mumbai area, as the first Indian Idol. And they were just two of a new crop of everyman stars.

Last week, another mega-entertainer Nach Baliye crowned real life actor couple Supriya and Sachin as the best dancing pair on television.

Hundreds of television executives are still devising new reality shows. And thousands are still queuing up to shine overnight.

Text: Sumit Bhattacharya

Fame Gurukul winner faces moral music on the house

Nirmal Mishra
Thursday, December 22, 2005 00:13 IST

The new, militant streak of moral policing by the city's housing societies nearly claimed a notable victim recently.

Ruprekha, the singer and winner of the popular talent-hunt reality show Fame Gurukul, was denied entry to the Anand Vihar Society building at Oshiwara even after she had paid the rent and deposits to the a flat owner there. Society secretary K Ashokan and president MD Pawar objected to her living in her newly-rented third floor flat.

On Wednesday, however, Pawar said the case had been sorted out. He said the society as a matter of rule had banned actors and people in the glamour industry from living in their building.

"There were several instances when they would come drunk and create a nuisance. We have experienced all that. But in any case, it has been sorted out and she's now been allowed to stay in the building," he said. Ashokan was on a visit to his village.

"We could not go to our flat for about four days because Ashokan had asked for identification and proof. But it was not our fault. We are new to the city and after paying money to the owner, we felt relaxed that at least our daughter will pursue her musical career peacefully," said Ruprekha's father Pradeep Banerjee. The Banerjees hail from a place near Dum Dum in Kolkata.

"I'm concentrating only on my work, which is music. When I came to Mumbai, the channel had taken care of my accommodation. If I do well, I'll buy a house of my own. I love this city. I don't want such things to distract me," said Ruprekha. She added that she wanted to be a playback singer in Hindi movies.

"I was touched when people told that they felt proud that Ruprekha had come to live in their building," said her father. Film director Raj Malhotra, who lives in the same building, said, "The Banerjee family is very sober. They are concerned about their daughter's security and career. We should help them establish Ruprekha in Mumbai. We are happy to have her as our neighbour."

The Banerjee family which just moved in a week ago is still to get the household together. "I'm a housemaker, and since my husband is a businessman, he'll go back to Kolkata while I take care of Ruprekha here," said her mother Kavita.

(From The Telegraph, Calcutta)
Deal doctor

He is set to paint the town yellow in a couple of weeks but during a daylong visit to the city on Monday, he chose to go red. Awaiting the release of Rang De Basanti, R. Madhavan came to strike another deal with Calcutta, promoting his popular game show on Sony and announcing specials for the next few weeks.

"It's a great feeling that ever since the show started one-and-a-half months back, people, especially kids and their parents, recognise me as the Deal Ya No Deal man," smiles Madhavan. "It's quite an experience watching these participants playing for the money and seeing their whole lives in front of their eyes. All the crying that you see on the show is real — we don't use glycerine."

The Sony game show, where people have to keep opening boxes randomly to win lakhs of rupees, started out on a promising note raking in the TRPs. Presence of celebrities like Anu Malik increased viewership and that is what prompted the channel to come up with more specials. So in coming weeks, you can catch everyone from Indian Idol Abhijeet Sawant and Fame Gurukul finalist Rex D'Souza to Mukesh Shaktiman Khanna and Nausheen Kkusum Sardar coming to strike deals on the show.

Deal Ya No Deal marked a return to TV for Madhavan who earlier won many hearts in serials like Banegi Aapni Baat and Saaya. A big cinestar in the South, Madhavan's attempts at Hindi cinema hasn't found favour. Even his last release Ramji Londonwaley sank without a trace. "The timing of the release was very bad," he admits. "But I am not going to give up in a hurry."

Madhavan's role in Rang De Basanti is a "special appearance", he insists. "It was amazing to work with someone like Aamir Khan," he says. "I am really lucky to have worked with the best of people — from Mani Ratnam to A.R. Rahman to Amitabh Bachchan."

But he doesn't figure in Ratnam's next film even though he's played the leading man in three of the director's movies. "It's in Hindi. So Mani Sir's gone with Abhishek Bachchan." reveals Madhavan.

So what next for the man who was born and brought up in Jamshedpur and who still looks out from his aeroplane window to spot his hometown on his way to Calcutta? "I want to have Amitji playing Deal Ya No Deal with me. If the TRPs of his channel and mine combine, we can create television history," winks Madhavan.