Bengali channel Tara launched amid cluster of stars

Bengali channel Tara launched amid cluster of stars
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

CALCUTTA, APRIL 30: It was a sparkling night for star-parched Calcutta. Bollywood stars swamped the city of joy, including none other than the supernova himself -- Amitabh Bachchan -- and renowned actress Aparna Sen, representing the best of Bangla creativity.

The occasion was the launch of Broadcast Worldwide's first regional Bengali channel TARA (Television Aimed at Regional Audiences) at Taj Bengal. The dream child of Rathikant Basu, Chairman & CEO of Broadcast Worldwide, and till recently, the CEO & Executive Chairman of STAR TV, he has brought on board several eminent people who believe in his vision of bringing international quality regional programming to viewers in India and abroad, such as Buddhadev Guha (who worked closely with Basu for STAR TV), heading the Bengali channel.

Following the Bangla launch, a Marathi channel would be launched in Mumbai with Nitin Vaidya (who was earlier with Alpha Marathi and Zee News) at the helm of affairs. For the Gujarati channel of the network, actress, dancer, writer and producer Mallika Sarabhai (who assures you that the Gujarati launch is not slated as a celeb gala) has been roped in as CEO. Sarabhai, who also manages Darpana, the largest performing arts academy in the country, says she took on the task because ``to be part of a channel which instigates thought and action was irresistible''.

Software is already ready for the Punjabi channel, with well-known TV personality Kishwar Ahluwalia (of Morning Today fame) as chief, and the launch will be kicked off by the first TARA-sponsored annual car rally, from Amritsar to Chandigarh.

Remarkably, Basu has got his act together in record time. With the onus on local programming meeting global standards, Basu dwealt on the channel's USP: ``The approach to all regional channels is similar, though of course in terms of giving a voice to the common, to actually going on to the streets and talking to them, as well as providing a platform to creative talent.'' In this context, tie-ups with the BBC and Channel V have been worked out.

Though guaranteed to be anything but a star-struck channel churning out mindless entertainment, the launch itself was a starry, starry night. Besides Calcutta's glitterati, such as filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh (whose film Utsab was world-premiered on the channel's first day) and Rupa Ganguly, celebrities like Neena Gupta, Deepti Naval, Ramesh Sippy with wife Kiran Joneja, Members of Parliament Maneka Gandhi and Amar Singh, Shatrughan Sinha with his wife, Shobha De, Anil Dharker, Amita Malik, Ila Arun, Siddharth Kak and several more were there at Basu's behest.

Unfortunately for the Delhi and Mumbai invitees, the emcee's expressions in Bangla left them a bit nonplussed, like the Big B himself who sat through the entire show with a pensive frown till finally he was called on the dais for inaugurating TARA.

But the highlights of the evening were a spirited performance by Mallika Sarabhai on the beats of the dhol and Bangla folk, followed by a spectacular fashion show by Bangladeshi designer Bibi Russell. A big name in Europe whose collections have opened several fashion weeks, Russell is also UNESCO's Special Envoy as Designer for Development in recognition of her work towards the welfare of weavers and traditional crafts worldwide.

The night ended with Incognito, with everyone shaking a leg to live Bangla pop, till singer Sukhbir whipped them into a frenzy with Punjabi numbers.