Apart from powerful, thought provoking films that appear on the OTT platforms off and on, we lately saw two talk shows that were not only sweet & heart-warming but made of ’sterner stuff’ !
The first one that completely bowled us over was ‘India Today’s’ prime time one hour interview cum heart to heart chat with India’s exemplary, iconic power couple Narayan & Sudha Murthy, occasioned by the fascinating book ‘An Uncommon Love’ by Chitra Banerji Divakaruni on their early life and times. The first thing that strikes one is that there’s no attempt to exude power and hubris considering their phenomenal personal successes and standing (including being in-laws to PM of UK) and stress on values like humility, gratitude, integrity, complete devotion to work !
In what should be a lesson for couples of all ages, they insist that their union is a partnership, both have equally important roles to play in their lives together. Two brilliant individuals with their own ethos, one an idealist, the other a pragmatist, so there’s complementarity rather than conflict. The humorist, writer in Sudha Murthy comes up with many gems in the conversation. On the point as to the very qualified Sudha, making the huge sacrifice for the family by not entering Infosys professionally, Murthy shared that he had once suggested that Sudha could even run the company while he’d manage the kids/household. To this Sudha’s rejoinder was ‘I know I could run his company, but could he manage the home and children ?’
The other show was another episode of the current season of famed ‘Koffee with Karan’ where the Karan the fluent anchor is in conversation with two adored actresses of their era, Neetu Kapoor and Zeenat Aman, retired veterans now away from the arc lights but very much a part of the filmy nostalgia of 70-80’s generation. So what was special here apart from the usual lively banter, rapid fire rounds and hamper in the end ? It had to do with revelation that was Zeenat.
For her fans, ‘Zeenie Baby’ as the tabloids then named her, was bold, westernized, glam avatar of the quintessential Bollywood ‘Pavitra like Ganga’ heroines, bringing radical shift as ‘Jassie’ in her first ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’ and wowing the masses with ‘Aap Jaise Koi..’ in ‘Qurbani & doing a peppy Shirley Mclaine act in ‘Manoranjan’ backing these with high octave histrionics in serious films like ‘Insaaf Ka Tarazu’ and ‘Satyam Shivam Sunderam’ and giving numerous hits. With this was her media-hyped high-end life-style, the controversies, alliances & relationships !
In K-with-K show, Zeenat now 72, counters that image created of her, with candid articulation and quiet dignity, asserting her individual choices and not regretful of the knocks life gave her. There is warmth and humour in her recalling funny anecdotes from her illustrious career, fondly reminiscing co-stars but no trace of rancor against a system constantly seeking moral validation. We felt Zeenat was grace personified and deserved the ‘Koffee hamper’ for just being so real !
Working on Living 