Spaced out-Antariksh,Life's like that

Spaced out

Star Plus' Antariksh has completed two weeks, and I quite enjoy the mix of mytho and hi-tech that the kiddie show offers. The effects are neat, and the language, Hindi interspersed with English words, is better than the archaic Hindi used in other kid's sci fi shows. But it's disconcerting when the frame is split into two close ups of actors actually sharing the same frame. If it's a new techno gimmick, I am left unimpressed. Zee's Time Bomb tried similar camera tricks, among others, and definitely didn't win the viewer over.

Life's like that

Zee's Jeena... is starting again this weekend, but under the auspices of a different production house, and with a different anchor. The original was flavoured with the sardonic charm of Farooque Sheikh, whose Urdu was a delight to hear. This time round, it's the flamboyant Roshan Abbas, who's yet to prove his mettle as an anchor. For starters, he seems to be having Rohit Roy as his guest. Does this indicate a slipping down the rungs for Jeena, which hosted mainly Bollywood celebs? Or does it reflect the growing importance of TV stars? Let's wait and watch.

http://www.indiantelevision.com/special/boxpopuli/y2k6/oct/b oxpopuli23.htm