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Journalism of Courage
Screen villain Ajit’s son, Shehzad, takes after his father for MTV.
When a man is down with a 103-degree fever, you expect him to be hot, grumpy and a bit off. But if the man happens to be Shehzad, son of Bollywood’s favourite baddie, Ajit, then the story goes all topsy-turvy.
When you asked him how it felt facing the camera for the first time as a VJ, pat came the reply: “Meine to camera pehli baar tab dekha tha jab meri ma sonography ke liye gayi thi.” When you asked how his father reacts to his Ajit act on the show, he explained: “I either get a pat or a bat.” When you questioned him about MTV’s favourite foe, Channel V, he gave you the most dazed expression, and asked you in turn:“Who V (we)?”
And when it came to commenting on one of Channel V’s more popular film-based shows, BPL Oye, he said, straight-faced: “BPL Oye ka full form janti hain aap? Bade phandebaz log!” All this delivered in the typical Mona-Tony’ style.
“I have it in my genes. All I have to do is modulate my voice,” he explained, modestly.
So is he going to make his name (and fortunes) with this son-playing-father game? Or will it be a one-time affair for Ajit junior? “This is going to be a first and last show of its kind on TV, and it’s only going to be for MTV,” Shehzad promised
.The Big Picture which also happens to be MTV’s first-ever movie-based show, is also promising plenty. A look at the whackier side of the world of movies, both Hollywood and Bollywood, coupled with the usual star interviews, top-five, flop-five fare. “All this is going to be shown against the backdrop of Ajit’s den. But we will not just be talking like the other VJs. There will be a lot of action, a lot of torturing and kidnapping,” says the new bad man with unholy glee.
In all these nefarious activities, Shehzad is going to be aided by Ajit’s old faithfuls, Mona and Robert, plus two new entrants called RDX and Black Cat. And about the missing Tony, Shehzad had this to say: “Woh hota to Mona-Tony ho jata. Aur waise bhi, Mona Tony se shaadi nahin kar sakti kyon ki Tony ka pony pregnant hain.’‘ Some logic!
Does it not bother Shehzad that The Big Picture is an all-English affair, which might just take some of the punch out of Ajit’s Hinglish one-liners? “My father was one of the first villains who had foreign goons working under him. He says: Pehle woh hum par raj karte the, ab hum un par raj karange’,” reasons Shehzad. As far as his presence in Bollywood goes, Shehzad wants to do just what his father did play the evil man. “I don’t like running around trees. I like molesting, torturing…!” Obviously, Shehzad is every bit his father’ son.
