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Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi (Star Plus) gave us some homework last week. Mihir and Tulsi Virani are looking for their long-lost son who was kidnapped just after he was born. They want to know if we can help. If we can, there is a grand prize in store: a plum role in any serial beginning with K.

Just kidding about the prize, but the homework part is indeed true. We can but hope that Virani Junior, when he is found, will turn out to be a talented and attractive young man. Aren't you just so bored of those unprepossessing new youngsters strutting around in Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii (Star Plus) and Kkusum (Sony)? All those Monalikas and Aryans and Kalis and Kshitijs are utterly unappealing. For a change, can we have a dashing young man as the newest Virani on the block? Someone who can also act, if that's not too much to ask.

Time to disco

Boogie Woogie Chalo America, telecast by Sony TV last Sunday, was a treat for dance enthusiasts. Held in New Jersey, participants came from all over America and the talent on display was amazing. On the downside, the camera tended to sometimes linger longer than necessary on the audience. The Question & Answer round was also pretty trite. Naved Jaffrey, the show's head honcho and one of the judges, wanted to know the meaning of 'wife' and had his own answer ready: 'without information fighting every time', if you please. Sonu Nigam, the other judge, piped up with his version too: 'with idiot for ever'. Well, it was certainly sporting of Sonu Nigam to call himself an idiot but it might have been better altogether if the esteemed judges had thought to ask more pertinent questions.

There was more amusement in the regular weekly episode of Boogie Woogie on Wednesday when Shefali Jariwala, the bimbo from the infamous Kaanta Laga music video, turned up as the chief guest. How did she land the part in the video? Apparently, she was shopping with her mother when the director of the video walked up with the offer. But being an 'acchi bacchi' (her choice of words!) she was initially wary. Obviously her reluctance did not last long and now she enjoys it. Clearly, the more uncouth she gets, the more pocket money it brings. Whatever happened to those halcyon days when teenage girls on the verge of womanhood were still innocent and sweet?

Double face

Chehre, last week's three-part tale of Kabhie Kabhie (Zee), revolved around a woman with a split personality. Interesting premise but, unfortunately, the proceedings were messy and half-baked. Married to an abusive man (Joy Sengupta), poor Sakshi (Ayesha Jhulka) gets beaten up if there is no salt in his food or ink in his pen. Matters worsen when she begins to disappear for long hours every evening. And where does she go? To the local disco. It isn't long before the husband consults a psychiatrist (Anupam Bhattacharya) who confirms that Sakshi is unwell but that he will do his best to cure her. The treatment involves spending long nights at the disco with his patient, dancing with her, and flirting too. A shrink's life (at least those we see on television) is sure tough. Better sense finally prevails and the doc puts business before pleasure and cures the lady. And she goes home to her husband, who has a miraculous change of heart. So miraculous that you wonder if the shrink shouldn't take him on as a patient too.

OVER TO YOU

Shrikala Kashyap, 14, of Doha, Qatar, writes, "TV Talk is my favourite column, I never miss it. Seems like you have just written what I was pondering about i.e. double trouble on television with lookalikes all over the place, which is getting more irritating by the day. The storyline of Kasautii Zindagii Kay (Star Plus) is getting worse, especially when Anurag (Cezanne Khan) and Prerna (Shweta Tiwari) keep accusing each other ad nauseam. And it really amazes me how they keep bumping into each other every five minutes in a hospital or party or park. Well, the top channel I would recommend right now is National Geographic which is interesting and most importantly, real. And the best serial would be, hmm sorry, I can't think of any. Once again, thank you for this lovely column. It's very real too!"

Vassu Baskar of Dubai writes, "Coca-Cola Sa Re Ga Ma Pa - World Series, shot in our Media City in Dubai, started off with a bang on Zee TV last Friday. Navin of UK and Sumanta of the US sang Tu hawa hai fiza hai from Khalid Mohamed's Fiza. The credit for the song was given to A.R. Rahman by our very own Gajendra Singh, the director of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, which is totally wrong. Rahman contributed only one song, Piya Haji Ali, based on Sufi music and sung by him. The music director of Fiza is Anu Malik. We have to give credit for his good work too. Gajji Zee (as everyone fondly calls Gajendra Singh), Dubai music lovers know their music and their directors too!"

Keep those comments coming in to the following post, fax or e-mail addresses: TV Talk, City Times, PO Box 11243, Dubai; fax no. 3382238 (c/o City Times); e-mail: cookie@emirates.net.ae.