It's Crooning time - on Fame Gurukul

Looks like, she's really taken her role too literally, so-to-speak. Wednesday night, I saw her literally ordering the contestants 'Chalo Kudiye (Common Jump) - and the jodi No. 1 obediently broke into a jig with the musical Chappa Chappa Charkha Chale.

So guys, after, Indian Idol its again crooning time on SET. And this time around, the contestants are not just expected to sing well; but even to match their steps with music. To be a singer-cum-performer-cum-actor-cum dancer. Gosh, it all looked like a rather tough task for the blooming 14 finalists.

One aspect I quite liked about the show was the way it took us from Srinagar to Ghaziabad, showcasing not just the kind of lives the finalists lead, but the countryside along with it. For me, it looked like the real face of middle class India. Very rooted and talented youngsters, supporting parents cooking dal chawal, and their respective music gurus from different corners of the country. Really heartwarming.

It's amazing, isn't it - to see the "idiot box" opening up real time opportunities for talented youngsters from across the 'chawls' of India. Many of them who would have perhaps struggled half their lives to get an entry into music companies' offices; losing sleep over that elusive first break, now have the telescreen helping them to swing up the ladder fast.

Not just that, but it's a real time chance to package themselves as celebrities; with the best people in the industry working on their looks, voice, pitch and attire.

Coming to the anchors of the show, Manav Govil is quite a refreshing change. Haven't seen much of Govil apart from being in Sony's CID. I remember seeing him a few years back in Ekta Kapoor's flop show Kahanni Teri Meri where he played a split personality. Though, I was a wee bit disappointed with Mandira (for the clueless, it's Mandira Bedi of the noodle straps fame that we're talking about). On Friday night, she looked rather overdressed in a heavy sari and was literally crying herself hoarse. And there seemed to be no real chemistry between Mandira and Manav. Well, way to go…

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Since we are on music shows (we are a nation of crooners really), can't miss out on Zee's rock solid Sa re ga ma pa, which is also in a revamp mode. I saw Ismail Darbar (bitten by the reality bug?) of Devdas fame trying to do the Indian Idol act on the show. There were hoards of contestants lining up in metros and smaller towns.

Well, reality or no reality, I would call Sa re ga ma pa a real landmark show which has been rock steady for more than a decade. Years back, l recall anchor Sonu Nigam with his longish hair and a thick coarse beard. Later, the show moved on in terms of its presentation and look and a new anchor in Shaan.

And now the new paradigm shift; to go the reality way. Will it add to the popularity of the show? With a loyal audience of more than a decade, I am sure the show will stand up to its next challenge.

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I am still trying to figure out what's happening on Star's Kavyanjali. Sometimes it looks like a ghost story to me , while at other times I've seen some really scary melodramatic scenes with Anjali and Amrita Singh on night prowls. Initially, the plot looked like the saas and the bahu had ganged up to bump off Kkavya. But now, I think it's war between the both of them.

This week, I think I've got my fix on the show. In many ways it reminds me of Ekta's earlier show Kahiin Kissi Roz. I wouldn't say it's the same plot or story but it is definitely a wee bit inspired by it.

I am sure tele watchers still remember the jugalbandi between Ramola Sikand and bahu Shaina. In that serial too Ramola had bumped off her husband and was trying to do the number on her stepson to gain control of business and property. The two kept on playing a double whammy, every time settling scores. And the game went on.

One point though. I am afraid Amrita can never be Ramola. Because of her large screen persona, sometimes she fails to look as wicked, conniving and scheming as she's been made out to be. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the Wednesday night showdown between the saas and bahu with some funny screeching sounds in the background. The scriptwriter had freely used words like 'ranniti (strategy for a war), 'Rannabhumi' (battleground) for the great 'mahayudha' (great war) ahead. Gawd, real battle of nerves!

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Ouch… thanks to India TV, this "casting couch" business is all over the place all the time. Almost all the talk show anchors never miss an opportunity to ask their celebrity guests about the issue. As in whether they have ever faced it in the industry? And celebrities, often just duck it or say they have never faced it. No amount of persistence really works.

The same happened on the repeat episode of Koffee with Karan on Star One. The episode had the gorgeous Priyanka Chopra along with super hunk Arjun Rampal. Dressed in a lovely sky blue dress Priyanka revealed that she now clearly refused to wear skimpy or revealing clothes in movies.

Karan first hit Arjun with the casting couch question.

So Arjun, tell me. Have you ever been subjected to the casting couch ?

No. I've never seen it or never heard of it.

Karan persisted - But in the modeling industry we hear even male models face the problem.

No, not really. Except, there was this model from Haryana who came here and told me about some wheeler-dealer types who promised him a role and took him to a hotel room. But this was a one-off case Sometimes, there are a few gay people around who might act funny after a couple of drinks When Karan asked Priyanka about it, she, too, managed to duck it by saying but I was already an established model when I entered the industry, etc, etc.

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Surfing on news channels, I always see India TV either in an investigative or a sting mode. The other day I saw reporter Srinivas Reddy travel to the Naxal zone of Andhra Pradesh to meet the 'Naxal neta' Madhav. The reporter walked around with the Naxals for a 20-km stretch and had dinner with them. Though he wasn't really facing the camera, the Naxal leader went on to lambast the present YS Rajasekhara Reddy government in the state. The Naxal leader said "if the government doesn't mend its way then we are now going to target and bump off the bigger leaders." This seems to be a case where confidentiality of journalistic sources should not apply if ever there was one.

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Saw some pictures of the UK paedophile Duncan Grant surrendering to the Mumbai police on news channels. It was real nauseating to see him actually smiling on camera And did he look tense. No, not all!