Sometimes, we seem to read history in reverse order, and it can be quite perplexing. Rajdeep Sardesai paid Kapil Dev this backhanded compliment: “He was the M.S. Dhoni of his generation.” Comedian Jaspal Bhatti would call this ulta-pulta — Kapil Dev laid his hands on a World Cup when Dhoni was still in his nappies. But why cavil? It was a wonderful one-hour with Kapil’s Devils reminiscing about that glorious Indian summer day at Lords (albeit somewhat overcast). Sardesai pestered Sandeep Patil about the possible presence, in the dressing room, of Bollywood actresses. Don’t know if this was a tart comment on the present IPL where the likes of Preity Zinta go everywhere the boys go (almost) or that Sardesai knows something about Lords ’83 that we don’t. Patil has not acquired two straight lines of white hair down his chin for nothing: with enviable aplomb he said he didn’t know about actresses but there were plenty of beautiful women — and kisses!Every channel had special shows to commemorate Lord’s ’83, but CNN-IBN’s was the most complete. Those old enough to have witnessed the victories, relived the joy and could say as Michelle Obama may have if she were Indian and a cricket fan, “For the first time, I am proud to be an Indian”. For those like Rohit Sharma (on CNN-IBN), it was a reminder that we possessed great players before Sachin & Co. All you adoring fans of India’s other great sport, Salman Khan is every bit as good as Shah Rukh Khan. There, said it. Was afraid that as a TV show host, he’d suddenly strip off his chest gear and flex all the muscles but we’ve wronged him. On 10 Ka Dum, we meet a fully clothed Salman — charming, modest, amusing and completely at ease. With Yuvraj and Harbhajan, he joked (about Katrina Kaif) and laughed at himself. No frills — it’s let’s get down to business — a departure from SRK who is also delightful on Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? but who spends so much time goofing, talking, talking, goofing that you forget why he’s there. The Salman experience was all the more charming, because he spoke in Hindi and thereby spared us his badly-strung-guitar American twang. Tired of cricket, tennis, golf, soccer (yes, even soccer)? Take a ride. And Ten Sports has just the horse for you at the Ascot. It’s a joy to behold the perfect symmetry of the horses, the absolute lightness of being of the jockeys and everyone else dressed as though they were extras on My Fair Lady (especially the ladies with every conceivable confection upon their head but a simple hat). There’s even a fashion strut by Ascot visitors, entirely voluntary and jolly good fun.Continuing in this ‘all things bright and beautiful’ vein, please do watch World Movies. As the name suggests, here are films from around the globe and on any given day, there’s at least one film you wish you had seen. That’s because we have seen very little of world cinema. Sunday night, watched Massacre in Rome by Carlo Ponti, starring the inimitable Marcello Mastroianni as a Roman priest up against Richard Burton’s German commandant — a different take on World War II. To end on a more sombre note: Aaj Tak had another khulaasa that again, revealed very little. It had stung the first investigating police officer of the Arushi-Hemraj murders. He described, in detail, what he saw at the Talwars, the morning after, how the Talwars behaved, setting off another interminable and inconclusive studio debate between two anchors (why two?), K.K. Gautam and a criminologist as to whether Arushi was asleep when she was killed. Severe as we have been on TV news channels for all their sins, spare a few censure motions for the police and CBI which have revealed evidence and unconfirmed suspicions to the over eager media. Isn’t there the equivalent of a Hippocratic oath that swears them to silence? There should be.shailaja.bajpai@expressindia.com
