MADHURA WAS MS INDIA!!!*shocked*

FOR tele-tubbies — no, we aren't referring to the animated series for children, but substituting it for cuter couch potatoes - who religiously keep track (in very sense of the word) on the latest from the world of Indian television, this shouldn't come as a surprise. When it comes to all things Punjabi, television's favourite city turns out to be Chandigarh! After references being made in Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin and then with Sony's Kareena-Kareena, here comes an all-new show that plays up the city once more.

In case you haven't caught the promos yet, we are talking about Sony Television's forthcoming daily, Aisa Des Hai Mera, written and directed by Lekh Tandon. And as Tandon, who spoke to us from Mumbai, remarked, ''The novelty of Aisa Des Hai Mera lies in the exploration of the way and life of pastoral and feudal Punjab. A Punjab on the verge of change and desperately tying to ward off the western influences. It's also about Punjabis desperately trying to hold on to their cultural idioms, their ethos, their unshakable belief in the hierarchy of social classes,'' reels out the septuagenarian director, who is super-charged about his latest project, for which he is the writer as well as the series director.

As far as the storyboard for Aisa Des Hai Mera goes, here's the brief. The Sawans and the Harbhajans are two warring families, living in Chandigarh. Paramjeet, Harbhajan's son, on a visit abroad marries an English woman and has a daughter. Years later, divorced and married again, Paramjeet's heart is guilt-ridden over the now missing daughter. Ruhi aka Rusty is the lost daughter, living in London, oblivious to her India connection. Fate brings Paramjeet and Ruhi together...only to have Ruhi follow her father all the way to India!

''The story unfolds over two generations and moves from Punjab to London and back. Through the Punjabi families, you'll see Punjab come across in its rich splendour as well as the trials, tribulations, honour and pride of the families,'' mentions Tandon. The show also stars actors Kanwaljeet, Pawan Shankar and former Miss India and incidentally Chandigarh di kudi the light-eyed Dolly Minhas making a comeback. As far as the main protagonist — Ruhi — goes, it's the newcomer from Delhi Saumya Tandon who auditioned for the part earlier in March. ''She's very talented as you'll see,'' her director had to say. The show premieres on April 24 at 9pm.

She was Ms. India 1988.

How many of u knew that?

lol..i just found out.