Glowing serials, boring actors

TELLY VISION

Were there bones in that corner of the room or was there another woman locked up in that room? Or maybe someone in flowing robes and long hair waiting to charge out and kill anyone who dared come her way?

It was a long wait on Saat Phere, Saloni ka Safar, Zee's prime-time serial that was putting its mysterious plot to rest. For those not tuned in, the serial revolved around a dark-complexioned girl called Saloni who is married into a business family in Rajasthan.

The family was harbouring a secret and dissuaded Saloni from going to the "purani deodi" or the back portion of the house where as one of the characters hissed, "A deadly secret lingers."

Zee television's creative team obviously had no clue and promptly announced a contest, "Aap kholiye purani deodi ka raaz (You solve the secret of purani deodi)."

Which is why one started playing guessing games. Thankfully, the serial makers ended the suspense last week. The protagonist approached the "purani deodi" while passing cobwebs, dried leaves (what happened to the windows, buddy?) some tilted old paintings and lots of dirt and muck. She kept fumbling with this wooden, gold-painted key while the camera kept whirring and swinging rapidly to capture her horrified expressions.

Finally Saloni entered a candle-lit room with white curtains swaying in the room. Resting there on an easel was a huge photograph of her husband posing merrily with his first wife after admitting to having killed her. Why did he kill her? Maybe after another contest and an number of episodes, the channel will furnish us an explanation.

Zee is clearly marching ahead with Saat Phere and another serial called Kasam Se. Coming from the Ekta Kapoor factory, Kasam Se is complete with kitchen politics, marital discords, lots of misunderstandings and other ingredients that give serials all the TRPs nowadays.

But the basic plot of three sisters leading completely different lives and coping with their share of problems is actually quite interesting.

It should also be interesting to watch a Discovery Channel special this Monday that will feature four shorts by documentary filmmakers (Geeta Singh, Nila Madhab Panda, Vijay Jodha and Sayed Fayaz) on the occasion of World Environment Day.

It should be better than watching Sony's boring re-run of a horror serial, especially as it struggles to find a fitting replacement for Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin.

Speaking of horror, actors Aamir Khan and Kajol scared audiences with their terrible chit-chatting in a bid to promote Fanaa. Madame Kajol was so glad to work with Mr Khan because "I think you're er, you're like so normal y'know." (Oh yeah? And we thought he was abnormal, what with appearing in just one film a year!) Aamir was enthused enough to say, "Ya, I think we've like matured 'n all after all these years."
Relative to what?