| Forward March | ||
| They say reel life imitates the real. They spoke true. This Monday saw an all-new show premiere on television that brings a bunch of boys and girls to a pre-NDA camp. Left Right Left stars a pretty shrink, a hunk of an instructor, a potpourri of students and loads of drama. Well, that's the REEL take. Closer home, there's a REAL version at YMCA Olive Greens. JAGMEETA THIND JOY takes a look at the 'action', both on and off the screen. | ||
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THE REEL VERSION: If television producer-director Deeya Singh (of the Tony and Deeya Singh duo) had her way, Left Right Left, their all-new show on Sab TV would have been shot at Chandigarh. ''God, I can't tell you how much I love the place,'' Singh tells us, a few days before the premiere of the new show Left Right Left that brings the story of six youngsters who come together at a pre-NDA Academy. ''It's not a docu-drama on the army or its way of life but essentially a modern and inspirational story. It captures the journey of six confused youngsters and disoriented youngsters who transform as strong determined individuals,'' Deeya explains. Interestingly, the story, as Singh puts it, ''also makes them realise their love for their country along the way.'' The characters on the show come from varied backgrounds and have their own reasons of signing up at the Academy. While the students (four boys, two girls) stars a bunch of newcomers, the instructors are being played by television favourites - current hearthrob and hunk Rajeev Khandelwal, the very sexy Shweta Salve and the Bollywood's best Army man - Puneet Issar. ''For me the Army has been way of life, given the fact that my father's a retired amrny officer and my brother's serving and is posted at NDA,'' informs Rajeev Khandelwal who plays Capt Rajvir on the show. ''Which is why I wanted to make sure - from my looks to my attitude to body langauge, everything remained true to character,'' adds the man who's current wardrobe boasts of plenty of OGs! Set in the backdrop of the Kanchenjunga Military Academy, the cast had to make sure they were physically fit. ''Lucky for me, I play the shrink,'' beams Shweta Salve who has always ''admired the men in uniform''. ''It's all about discipline and you'll see a lot of that on the show,'' she chuckles.
IN REALITY: We are at YMCA Olive Greens, Sector 11. For the unitiated, Olive Greens is, as one of its instructors Lt Col Ashokan tells us, a training camp that ''focusses on the overall development of personality of the youth'' specially those who aspire to become commissioned officers in the Indian Armed Forces. ''Unlike what people think, it's not all brawn that matters at the selection level,'' says the Colonel as we brief him on the new show. ''At Olive Greens we train candidates on a true SSB environment by providing a look alike setup with all types of group tasks, individual obstacles spread out on the grounds apart from training capsules on personality development. And like its reel avatar, the students come from diverse fields. ''It's been my ambition always,'' beams Puneet Rana, here from Palampur, HP. Sitting alongside is a petite Meenu Verma from Dharamsala. ''Same for me though it took me a while to convince my parents it's alright for girls to go ahead with a career in the Army,'' says Verma who has been giving the training her best shot. Quiz the bunch on whether the training has made a difference to their lives and they chorus, ''In more ways than one.'' Discipline, strength of mind and body, confidence tops their list. But one thing they all agree upon - it ain't easy. Well, that's because its reality. |
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