PARMEET'S NEW SHOW

The big screen's original Don was Amitabh Bachchan. Now, it's work-in-progress for Farhan Akhtar's remake, with Shah Rukh Khan. Not to be left behind, the small screen's don goes on air on Star One from February 10.

Titled DON (the protagonist is detective Dinkar Omkar Nath), this one-hour weekly on Fridays has Parmeet Sethi in the title role, with Deepak Qazir (Babujee of Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii) playing mentor, Professor Bhargava, in a colonel-type look.

Sensitive Dinkar

"DON is a detective series — but not the kind you see on television. This drama does not focus on blood and gore; in fact, the sight of blood makes the DON queasy. The show takes on crimes like kidnappings and cheating. Detective Dinkar Omkar Nath solves them in his inimitable way," says producer Sunjoy Waddhwa.

DON's aim is to chase culprits and crack clues through his powerful sixth sense. His insight and observation powers are better than the average man's. "He is not depicted as a gun-toting detective. He takes on different guises, as the situation demands. And more importantly, he knows how the crooked mind works," adds Waddhwa.

As for Qazir's character, Prof Bhargava, the producer explains that he is not a sidekick. "Whenever the DON solves a case, it is Prof Bhargava who sums it up; when there are loose ends, the DON turns to him. Prof Bhargava is an extremely prim-n-propah man."

Social responsibility

DON's script is written by Charu Acharya and Arshad, and every week will have a different story, with the detective on a new trail. "DON will take up social causes, rather than chilling stuff. There is the element of mystery — with a dash of fun," adds Waddhwa, who also produces Zee daily, Saat Phere.

shaheen@mid-day.com