On a lazy Saturday morning (2006, Stamford, Connecticut), I get a call from one of my friend to switch on the television and browse the local channel. I followed the instructions and to my delight, bollywood music starts ringing in my ears.
Since then I have become ardent fan of Namaste America, a one hour infotainment each weekend. I am fortunate enough to get the broadcast along with regular cable connection, wherever we have been located.
It is a good mix of latest bollywood music, movie reviews, DVD releases and news from the Indian sub-continent. The most interesting part is behind the scene interviews like making of movies or making of a particular movie song or interview with bollywood stars who now more often premier their movies either in New York or Los Angeles.
It is an interactive program, one can online request for a song or a shoutout. A shoutout is a brief message for loved ones on his/her birthday or anniversary, read aloud by the anchor during the show. Here advertisements are called messages hence shoutout is used for, what we would call a message in plain English.
Since then I have become ardent fan of Namaste America, a one hour infotainment each weekend. I am fortunate enough to get the broadcast along with regular cable connection, wherever we have been located.
It is a good mix of latest bollywood music, movie reviews, DVD releases and news from the Indian sub-continent. The most interesting part is behind the scene interviews like making of movies or making of a particular movie song or interview with bollywood stars who now more often premier their movies either in New York or Los Angeles.
It is an interactive program, one can online request for a song or a shoutout. A shoutout is a brief message for loved ones on his/her birthday or anniversary, read aloud by the anchor during the show. Here advertisements are called messages hence shoutout is used for, what we would call a message in plain English.
The advertisements are limited to that of two insurance companies, Nationwide and Farmers, of which most Indians are either customers or agents and of course Wal-Mart, the low price leader.
However much I read online Indian news, bollywood gossip and listen to songs and watch videos on youtube but the television program has altogether a different aura. It summarizes and presents bollywood and India in a nutshell. I can say with conviction, television programs are here to stay despite internet tsunami.
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