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Kkissa Ektaa aur MTV kka
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Techies, teens, businessmen, models, engineers... all of them willingly lined up to audition for Ektaa Kapoor's new soap for MTV. The soap queen didn't even put in a cameo, but there was enough drama, writes ROHINI MOHAN
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The K lady wasn't there, but many turned up to climb the wobbly ladder to TV stardom. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.
EKTAA'S KONTRIBUTION to kwomankind (k silent). Two decades down, maybe that's what her biography will be kalled. Melodramatic or not, the numerological obsession will surely make it a difficult read.
A little birdie (read PR hype) whispered into Bangalore's eager ears that Ektaa Kapoor would arrive at Chowdiah Memorial Hall Wednesday morning, to select six actors for her new soap on MTV. Scripts, cameras, and glycerine in readiness, enthusiastic twentysomethings landed up right on time, desperate to climb the wobbliest ladder to stardom.
"Is she there? Did you see her?!!" they asked wide-eyed, ready to scramble past the security barricades if I'd replied in the affirmative. High hopes of seeing the `K' lady were finally dashed as one of the organisers yelled: "No Ektaa Kapoor, people! You are here for an audition. So please just get in line!"
MTV and Balaji Telefilms have tied up to co-produce a 39-episode serial (er... was it 39 or 390? 39, far too short by her standards), Kitni Mast Hai Zindagi, to be aired on the music channel. And again, the "we want fresh faces" and "we want to tap young talent" big-heartedness spawns yet another hyped-up talent hunt.
After an argumentative phase with security guards whose guidebook said anyone from the press was probably a sly participant trying to break the queue, I found my way into the formidable Screening Hall. Said MTV VJ Sophiya, who was here to judge the auditions: "Once we delivered the shock value of MTV hooking up with Balaji Telefilms, the next step was to get two boys and four girls for the cast. MTV has pioneered talent hunts and even I have made my career from a similar hunt." What about the music channel's hip 'n' happening image? KMHZ (oh yes, they have an abbreviation already!) is a meeting of the king of cool and the queen of drama, the MTV folk at the venue say. "About 70 per cent of our programming is in Hindi and this is only a mellow-drama. Plus, after a point, you get bored and taking risks becomes necessary." And Sophiya is just screechy-thrilled that there are guest spots for VJs.
VJ Ramona kicked off the auditions with a `cut-the-queue' option for any five eager-beavers who wanted to make a quick first impression. Many enthusiastic hands shot up. I'm still awestruck at how only those attached to a gym-sculpted body and well-chiselled face got to get on stage. A Nike cap-sporting small-time Kannada theatre actor did make his way up, but had to deliver grave dialogues gyrating Hrithik-style. "Why am I getting a déjà vu of college ragging days?" someone said in a stage whisper.
Representatives of Rai University, which sponsored the talent hunt, were there gifting scholarships for a three-month diploma in any subject chosen by the winners. Picture this: Mr. X, big TV star (due to KMHZ, of course), doffs wig, runs out of studio into limo, heads straight to doze off in an economics class, and in an interview the next day, waxes eloquent about how academics is the pillar of life itself.
Techies, college-goers, businessmen and women, models, engineers... all they wanted to do was to flee their professions to don powder and paint. Asked whether he'd actually like to be in TV soaps where characters went to bed in wedding apparel, Ashwin said: "All that's OK. I just hope Ektaa doesn't kill me off in the script. I'm not even popular enough to get letters demanding that I come alive after that!"
Some girls had brought their scripts along. "I don't want to act," said Rina, as she half-heartedly filled the participant form. "If there's anyone from Balaji Telefilms, I'm going to show my script to them." Did she also write about joint families where the highpoint in a woman's life was getting the key to the tijori? Pat came the reply: "Of course not. And no more dadis living longer than their grandchildren either!"
KMHZ is about how a small-town girl's moral conflicts in the pursuit of her dreams. Sound familiar? Well, it is actually new and different. Because the channel that was once the voice of teen rebellion says so. And if they're turning to boohoos for TRP ratings, we can always go to bed in our wedding apparel.
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