There are new shows on the entertainment channels. The biggest is India’s Got Talent (Colors). Thanks to Susan Boyle’s beautiful singing on its British equivalent, we know what to expect. This is blockbuster TV. It travels across India looking for unusual and extraordinary talents. And they certainly found them. There was a visibly overweight Debojit from Jharkhand, dancing as lightly as MJ in a Bharat Natyam western fusion performance which brought a tear to judge Kirron Kher’s eye. So sweet. And, there was the troupe from Orissa who presented a Vishnu-Krishna avtar dance so perfectly synchronised in movement, it resembled a bronze scultpure. It certainly brought a fairly sleepy judge Shekhar Kapur to his feet and got three ‘fabulous’ cheers from Kher. Third judge Sonali Bendre (looking gorgeous) said she was speechless (get it?). Watch out for the performers — they are something.

Maniben.com (Sab) is about how Smriti Irani is trying to become a comedian after being the reigning tragedy queen. She plays the rich wife of a rich husband who tries to keep up with the Jains, her neighbours. At least she is trying to reinvent herself — albeit unsuccessfully, which is more than Sudha Shivpuri does. She’s Ba wherever she goes — even here.

There are actually people who have not seen Slumdog Millionare and for them Sony Pix telecast it over the weekend — twice. There’s the anti-smoking TV commercial which is enough to put out everyone’s cigarette provided they believe their lungs resemble the filthy grey sponge in the ad (which of course they won’t). But there’s no IIFA, although hour-long promo shows have been on for at least a fortnight. What’s up, Star Plus?

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