Feb 1, 2003

A week ago, ESPN-Star Sports launched their Super Selector game for the World Cup. The show was anchored by Harsha Bhogle and had a unique touch: the presentation was in the original manner that Naseeruddin Shah used to host (The current show is anchored by Darain Shahidi & Poonam Sharma and has a vastly different look). It also was an excuse to bring back some of the original suspects: Naseeruddin Shah walked onto the sets after Sudhir Mishra's Apple Singh dialogues. More nostalgia with the addition of Sebi (Sabi? Sebby? Sabby?) and his band who were always exhorted by Shah to Take it away!. Navjot Singh Sidhu appeared do his bombastic bit as ever and Joy Bhattacharya had more defending to do of the statistics as usual. The biggest and most notable absentee was Pandit Ajay Bhambi, a big favourite among some of us. To give discredit where it is due, ESS were far more prescient about SET MAX's hobnobbing with Ma Prem Rithambara and her legerdemain with her tarot cards: Pt. Bhambi (enjoys more footage on Jain TV) would make predictions about which players would be likely to do well. How accurate he was with his marksmanship was evident in the ranking he achieved among the celebrity lists, he was quite consistently at the bottom. Apple Singh Mishra, to my mind, must be one of the luckiest guys (along with Gautam Bhimani): free trips to South Africa beckon. (Of course, it might not be all that rosy, but at least they're being offered a ride there!)

No comments: