Housemates v/s homemaker

This week Rachana Dubey reviews two popular television shows: The much hyped Bigg Boss 4 hosted by actor Salman Khan and family drama Baba Aiso Varr Dhoondo.

Show: Bigg Boss 4

Time: 9 pm, everyday

Station: Colors

Cast: Salman Khan as host, 14 characters playing themselves



The Housemates don’t meet the expectations of an audience that have been speculating about the inmates of Season 4 for weeks now. From Rajesh Khanna, Mandakini, Pamela Anderson, Lisa Ray and Barbara Mori, to find an Anchal Kumar, Veena Malik, Samir Soni and Ashmit Patel, among others, in the House is a big let-down.

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Bigg Boss

Salman Khan will undoubtedly up the entertainment quotient but his star presence is only restricted to the weekends. It’ll be left to the contestants, who include a dacoit, a controversial lawyer, an accused from the David Headley case, a transgender from across the border, a controversial Pakistani model-actor associated with a "spot fixer" to keep us from tuning out.



Unisex bedrooms and bathrooms are fine, but you need lots of masala to ensure that Bigg Boss keeps his hold over primetime viewing for the next 90 odd days.

Show: Baba Aiso Varr Dhoondo
Time: 9.30 pm, Monday-Thursday
Station: Imagine
Cast: Juhi Aslam, Vikrant Massey

This damsel is in distress because she’s shorter than normal thanks to a genetic flaw. Her Prince Charming has just discoverd that he was abandoned as a child and brought up by foster parents. All hell has broken loose and never-ending drama has begun!

The idea of casting a girl who is just three feet tall makes the story believable. And Juhi Aslam can act too. You are almost compelled to snap at her parents for making no attempt to shut up those who mock her. The soap has all the drama and melodrama to appeal to homemakers.

But the director will need to up his pace a bit and weed out some typical characters who don’t fit into such an innovative concept.

What we like
Casting a girl who has faced similar situations for real.
We don’t like
Story moves at snail’s pace and has too many seen-that elements