Opinion Kiran Bedi,Judge Dread
Kiran Bedi,in her signature short back and sides,her intelligent spectacles and a finger which wags almost at will when confronted by criminals...
Kiran Bedi,in her signature short back and sides,her intelligent spectacles and a finger which wags almost at will when confronted by criminals or errant human beings,has returned to her high perch on the bench of Aap Ki Kachehri (Star Plus). From there she stares down those had the temerity not to sort out their differences,scolds them irrespective of age,gender or background as though theyre snotty little schoolboys caught wiping their noses on the back of their hands. Behave,she thunders. After reducing most to tears or human pulp she then offers a spoonful of sugar to sweeten her diktat. A money guarantee offer: Rs.20,000 more or less,to settle disputes. So when a mother accused her daughter and son-in-law of stealing her savings and wished to prosecute them,Bedi awarded her money with a stern command to think things over. Mother and daughter were eternally grateful to Judge Bedi,even though they have settled nothing between them. Perhaps money does talk after all.
The show is another Sach ka Samna (shifted to 11 pm last week,obviously to contain political fury) since that is what the quarrelsome disputants confront as Bedi claws the truth out of them. Their petty little crimes,their meanest thoughts come tumbling out: theres fraud here,adultery too,parents throwing out children,children abusing parents¿you name it. And just as you watch S ka S for its scandalous admissions of human frailty,so A Ki K is highly watchable for the bare-faced revelations about what men and women really want and the lengths they go to get it.
Meera (NDTV Imagine) is quite lovely. Shes already beaming a beatific smile and shes hardly thigh high. The source of her enchantment is the little doll she carries everywhere,her beloved Krishna. As you may have realized,shes no ordinary girl named Meera. This is Meerabai,the Lord Krishna devotee immortalised in the Meera bhajans. A mere child,shes displaying a determination beyond her years to be with Krishna,no matter what,in this sumptuously staged historical.
Meera is one of the many enchanting girls on television. From Balika Vadhu and Uttaran (Colors) to Aapki Antara (Zee) to all the ladlis across entertainment channels,what we have here are potential contestants for the young Miss India contest,if there was one. It is a genuine triumph of good looks. That the girls are accomplished actresses is additional allure. Meera,like Rani of Chittod (Sony) and the upcoming Jhansi ki Rani (Zee) are heroines who defied the conventions of their times,flouted stereotypes and emerged as genuine trail-blazers. They have joined the battle other TV serial protagonists are waging on behalf of women. If after such a frontal assault on inequality,the Womens Reservations Bill is not passed,if our attitude to women does not improve by even a shade,then wed be well served by a Kiran Bedi sentence to hard labour.
World Badminton Championships: Watching Saina Nahiwal was a patriotic duty (what with Independence Day around the corner) but it was the Chinese players,light and fleet of foot,swooping down for the smash that had us in hoops. Two complaints: DD Sports had miniaturised the score so as to ensure that it is not visible with even a magnifying glass. And the abrupt commercial breaks just as the shuttlecock was tossed up were always at the wrong time. Not that there is a right time for breaks in a game of badminton we truly feel for the sponsors – but that doesnt make watching them any better. As for the commentary,Aparna Popat was skillful; her male partner,however,felt his words had to accompany each and every shot as well as the replays; while he displayed admirable dexterity in keeping up with the action,his purple prose was a distraction and completely unnecessary.
shailaja.bajpai@expressindia.com
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