Kabhi Copy Kabhi Fun...

I spent last Saturday at home, and my channel surfing brought me to this amusing show on Star One called “Hello Kaun? Pehchan Kaun!” The program is a platform for all those brilliant comedians who perform spoofs on celebrities.

I was amazed to see Indians from the simplest of places and professions pulling off the reproductions of India’s most talented lot with amazing ease. A petrol pump attendant impersonating Sunny Deol and a trader acting as Kader Khan; both better than the original!

(Guess I should say, AS good AS the original, else the purpose is completely defeated, right?!)

Copycats are probably the funniest of people, and the most popular as well. I have loved it when Suvarna mimicked our peers and professors during Masters, as also Sibi’s side-splitting duplication of Nana Patekar and Shahrukh Khan.

Come to think of it, why do some people get emulated while others don’t?

Bingo. It’s coz these individuals have something that sets them apart from the rest. A peculiar and unique quality that distinguishes them from those that do not possess that feature. Something like USP – Unique Selling Proposition. (And no, there can NEVER be more than ONE USP... Why else would it be a UNIQUE selling proposition?!!)

The USP of some folks remains their voice and inflection... Like Dharmendra for his “kutte, kameene” and “mausiji” intonations, Amitabh for his “Haiiinn”, Shatru for “khamoshh” and so many more. USP could also be actions or style... Like the way Salman and Sanju walk, or Rajnikant’s crazy antics with guns and glares!

Unforgettable characters make performers immortal. Remember Paresh Rawal’s Babu-bhaiya in the Hera Pheri series, and baddies like Shaakal, Mogambo, Gabbar Singh? Rajkumar, Dev Anand, Keshto Mukherjee remain perpetual favorites of the copy-cat clan, and even Laloo Prasad Yadav, Atal Behari Vajpayee, Baba Ramdev are not spared.

Why just the men? Sugandha Mishra in Star One’s Laughter Challenge was uproarious when she sang and spoke like Lata Mageshkar, Sharmila Tagore, Meena Kumari, Hema Malini, and Aishwarya Rai. (I don’t like the other woman, Bharti, who keeps cracking jokes about her plumpness all the time. Where’s the variety, yaar?!!)

However, my personal favorites on the Laughter show remain the very first winners – Sunil Pal (above all as the drunkard), Raju Srivastava (evergreen!), Navin Prabhakar (as the prostitute that gave the current show its title – Pehchan Kaun!) I also like Rancho and his master - the ventriloquist, and the entertaining chubby-lean "tthaka-tthak" Pakistani duo.

(Say, what’s your USP? What do you think people would imitate you as? With me, I think it’s the way I speak - the word stress and hand movements.)

Heard on Radio One the other day that Asha Bhosale has been in the industry for over 65 years!! Her first song was in the year 1943, and she still remains as sensational and youthful as ever. Gosh... A more versatile and alluring voice I’ve never heard. And whatta sparkling smile! Makes you feel all warm and happy inside :-)

By da way, her son and daughter-in-law are called Anand-Anuja... And of course you know my bro’s Anand Rathi. So, when my mum met her about a decade ago at some WIMA function, they shared a hearty laugh. (Ammi was the chairperson then of this Women Entrepreneurs group; she’s met even Indira Gandhi! Sahi na?!)

Another woman I know who is perpetually smiling and enthusiastic at a youthful 60+ is Dr. Jyoti Bapaye. The woman who brought a marvel to the world. (Me, who else?!) Shall talk more about her some day. The perfect story of how fate can destroy and how strength and determination can prevail...

Read in Pune Times that the English language will have a million words by end of August this year. And they have rightly stated that daily usage includes barely 14,000 terms, though experts may be aware of around 70,000. (So, what I told you about not fretting over vocabulary is validated!)

Well, guess I should pull the hand-brake! Aap logo ko aur bhi kai kaam honge...

Slip me a comment as feedback so I know you’re there! You know I love to hear from you!!

Adios!
Princess