It’s no secret that Bollywood gives Hollywood a run for its money. So it was only a matter of time before a TV show devoted, albeit not solely, to the industry would pop up on the small screen. The best of the lot is probably Front Row with Anupama Chopra, which airs on Top TV’s Star Plus channel every Saturday.
As the title suggests, it is hosted by Chopra who is no stranger to the world of television as she previously hosted a film review show called Picture This, and is no relation to Deepak.
Now not to throw Eastern Mosaic any shade, but there are quite a few shows that put India under the spotlight on television.
Front Row with Anupama Chopra is one of them. You get a front row seat on what’s really going on and coming out of India in terms of films. But she also throws in the going-ons of Hollywood.
Chopra does this through themed shows and breaking the show into segments that include trailers, exclusive interviews and in-depth discussions that don’t end up sounding pompous or boring. For instance, for the first episode, the theme was Superheroes.
It was around the time the Avengers film was to be released so she dedicated some time to that. But then she focuses on the superhero films that have come out of India and more importantly, why they never reach successful Avengers proportions.
In addition to bit of history and trivia, Chopra also incorporates rarely-seen footage from films that became classics even though they may have been waved away when they debuted.
It’s for that reason that while Front Row with Anupama Chopra is fascinating, it may seem a bit too much for those who just go to the cinema to unwind or to relax.
If you’re not interested in your brain being stimulated by facts and discussions you may have never thought of before, then you’ll want to give this show a miss.
• Front Row with Anupama Chopra is on Star Plus (Top TV Channel 270) every Saturday at 7.30pm