Whistle stop

Music,Seriously

Finally,there is some serious music on Indian television. After MTV’s effort to return to its roots with shows like Coke Studio and Unplugged,Star World is making the next move. The Dewarists,a new 10-part television series,premieres on the channel on October 16 at 8 pm. The show features collaborations between artistes of different genres and is shot at various locations across India. Each episode centres around the creation of an original track by a combination of musicians,and will culminate in the performance of the new composition. Among the artistes who have already shot for the series are indie music stalwarts like Indian Ocean,Imogen Heap and Zeb & Haniya,Mohit Chauhan and Shantanu Moitra. The series has been directed by acclaimed ad-filmmaker and Scribe frontman,Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy.

Skin,please

Little did one expect that Jacqueline Fernandez’s leggy act in Murder 2 had the power to bring about a change. Following the success of the revived franchise,Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt’s Vishesh Films has decided to take the same route with the next installment of Jannat as well. So Prachi Desai with her girl-next-door image is rumoured to have been ousted. Though who replaces her has not been decided yet,but a certain amount of sensuality is must on the girl’s CV,we hear.

Old wine

Now that Endemol India has decided to look beyond the realm of TV to turn Bollywood producer,the management hopes for a strong debut,literally. They have signed on Sunny Deol for its first film,Traffic. A remake of the popular Malayalam hit by the same name,it’s a thriller drama where the characters attempt to wade through the city’s traffic to ensure that a young boy receives a heart transplant in time. The cause the film supports aside,one thought that Endemol,which has adapted foreign shows such as Indian Idol,Fear Factor,and Deal Ya No Deal for Indian audiences,will give up producing remakes—at least with films—and start afresh.