Thursday, May 15, 2008

Post retirement solution – become a celeb judge

Have a flagging career in the Bollywood or Hollywood industry? Are your movies no longer pulling in an audience? Or have you got too many wrinkles for the screen? Well, do not fear – become a celebrity judge!

Yes, this is the new age money-making mantra. Let us look at some famous celeb judges…

The first one that comes to mind is Simon Cowell of American Idol. Had you ever heard of him, before he became the nasty, brutally honest judge on TV? Even if you did have an inkling, there were no “we love Simon” or “I hate Simon” shirts on sale in US, like this before.

Paula Abdul – the lady’s singing career has nosedived; she hasn’t given a hit in years…but she’s making it big as a judge. Courting controversy for giving judgments beforehand, romancing contestants and getting into lip-locks with Simon are her TV trademarks.

And of course the DAWG – Randy Jackson. He has equated so many people with the canine breed, that he might as well be dogs own adopted Idol!

Then, I think of our very own Javed Akhtar. He started off in the Indian Idol as a respectable, intelligent old man, who used to be concerned with diction. Today, the poet is seemingly available for every gig in town and has started over-talking. He can be downright mean…something Shabana Azmi should check on very soon.

Saroj Khan – Man, she got lucky!! Not only did the almost vanished choreographer get back her groove with the dance show, Naach Baliye. But she has even bagged an independent show on NDTV Imagine teaching nubile girls and young men to shake to the Bollywood beat.

Another one who moved from his failed Bollywood career to a celeb judge and NEVER looked back is, Rajiv Behl of Boogie Woogie dance program. He has just stuck to the judging chair for nearly 10 years now!

Actually, judging contestants has worked quite well for certain established music composers like Annu Malik, Vishal-Shekhar, Bappi Lahiri, Himesh Reshamiya etc. They listened to the best and have been able to get them to sing for them for almost free.

In fact, the biggest beneficiary was Amitabh Bachchan. When his company ABCL had gone bust and he was reeling under debts, Kaun Banega Crorepati rescued him. SRK too made money off the show and used it fund his movie production Om Shanti Om.

Really, who said television was an idiot box? It is more like a make-me-rich-quick box! All hail the TV!!!

4 comments:

Nabila Zehra Zaidi said...

LOL... so true... and are you forgetting the latest additions... Urmila Mantodkar and Sonali Bendre!!

Thanks to the whole 'realiy t.v.' thing... its bringing good and quick money for celebs and ordinary talented people, alike :)

Nice post idea... ;)

Akansha Pradhan said...

hey thx nabila... yes urmila n sonali r d latest entrants.. urmila tho i think is doin terrible as an anchor...her pitch is alwys jus tooo high!

Keshi said...

hahhahahahaha! Hilarious! And so true :)

ty for visiting my online home!

Keshi.

Sreetama said...

He he! This is true! I read a story where it said a divorce lawyer got re married his divorced clients. This made him very popular & thus, he was invited to judge a singing reality show with headphones inerted & he was found nodding his head with the rhythm! That was eally funny & so is ur post! :D