India Update: What's on the Tube?

February 22, 2006 at 12:05 PM | by johnrambow | Comments (0)

From his observation deck in Bangalore, John Rambow will be reporting weekly on television and other parts of Indian popular culture.

When I first got here, I didn't think that there'd be much TV in English at all. There are a lot more Hollywood movies than I thought there'd be, but it's not exactly Grade A stuff. We end up watching a lot of action and horror movies that we never even heard of back in the U.S. Webs, anyone? How about Octane, in which Mischa Barton and Jonathan Rhys Meyers take turns chewing up the scenery?

The TV is free from anything indie or arty. Vanity Fair (2004) was just on last night, but I suspect that had more to do with how great Reese Witherspoon looks riding an elephant in the film's supersaturated India ending and less to do with anyone's love for Empire waists.

As for non-Western programming, one must-see is Chi and Me. It sounds as if it should be some sort of New Age health program for worried suburban moms, but it's a kids' sci-fi show. I can't understand what I'm seeing and I can't do much with the complicated storylines either, but the goofy acting, rubber face makeup, and pleasingly bad costumes keep us distracted for sometimes minutes at a time.

Another immediate favorite is what we've dubbed the shirtless guru show. Each morning the show passes the mic to a different Hindu holy man. Sometimes the day's host yells, sometimes he sounds like an Indian Bob Newhart, but it's always engrossing. I don't think any holiness is rubbing off, but it's always fun to take in during a morning cup of coffee.

Jaunted

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