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Vote! The Best Entertainers on TV
You get them in all shapes and sizes on television. Some are suave and charming while others are loud and in your face, and still others are just not cut out for the job.
We are talking of Bollywood stars (okay, some of them may not fit the description of a quintessential star but they belong to the Hindi film biradari alright) currently seen on the tube.
Some host shows and some judge them.
We decided to pick the most entertaining star on TV, and rate him/her. Click through the slide show, and give us your choices as well!
Hrithik Roshan
Seen on: Just Dance
Well, what's not to love about HR. Drop dead gorgeous, the star sure knows how to work his jaadu. A great screen presence and immensely likeable, Hrithik makes the show an enjoyable ride.
The best part is that he knows his job. He is measured in his praise and gentle in his criticism. A hug, a piece of advice and some impromptu dance moves is all he takes to have the contestants and the viewers eating out of his six-fingered palm.
On the flipside, he tends to get philosophical so all we will say is keep it simple, sweetie.
Our Rating: 5/ 5
What do you think?
Dharmendra
Seen on: India's Got Talent
He's finally made a debut on TV with the third edition of India's Got Talent. Though Dharam is no longer very garam, he is affable, immensely endearing and very grandpa-like.
Soft spoken and to the point, he keeps his comments precise and frank. Generous with praise and encouragement, he holds his own beautifully against the show's resident judges, Sonali Bendre and Kirron Kher.
What we love is if he doesn't like an act, he just says it without any sugar coating, firm yet polite. If he loves it, there is no stopping him from spouting a shayari. His shayaris are becoming his trademark. While some hit the bulls' eye, the others are whatever.
Our Rating: 3/5
What do you think?
Simi Garewal
Seen on: Simi Selects India's Most Desirable
A recent study claims that though Botox may be effective for smoothing wrinkles on the skin, research now shows it may numb your ability to perceive the emotions and intentions in others -- one is unable to express feelings of empathy maybe because of all that's been injected into one's face that tend to make it immobile. But why are we telling you this!
Simi Garewal can empathise with each and every of her single, eligible star guests. Her heart bleeds for them, when they make confessions like 'I couldn't eat that piece of chocolate because I had to watch my weight for my debut film'. Or when John Abraham sits with a forlorn expression and paints himself a martyr, Simi just stops short of taking him on her lap and wiping his tears. She makes us cringe too when her coquettish alter ego Kiki comes visiting.
Last but not the least, with her table cloth-like skirts with zig zag lace patterns and tops that are getting naughtier with every episode (with much cleavage showing), Simi's glamour quotient has gone from stylish to bizarre.
Then there is that schoolteacher like behaviour at the end of the show when she asks the audience 'Do you think you desire so and so more after this show' while they chorus a 'Yes' (we hear it as 'Yes, Miss'). We can almost see a cane in her hand.
Our Rating: 3/5 (for being unintentionally funny)
What do you think?
Farah Khan
Seen on: Just Dance and Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega
She's a veteran on reality shows. Nothing has changed about Farah, may be a few grams gained or lost. She is still as wicked, sarcastic and witty.
While she earlier probably cared two hoots about how she spoke to the contestants, we guess motherhood has now mellowed her down as she is quick to apologise if she thinks she has overstepped her brief.
She admittedly enjoys being on Entertainment Ke Liye. Her witty repartee and crazy banter with co-judge Anu Malik is fun to watch too. Candid and sharp, we wonder though why she calls herself Queen Khan. Taking a cue from a certain King Khan?
Our Rating: 4/ 5
What do you think?
Anu Malik
Seen on Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega
When you don't have any other work, you become the resident judge on a reality show and generally play the joker. That's what Anu Malik does for most Entertainment Ke Liye.
He sings, he dances and breaks into a shayari every now and then and keeps the mood light and easy. Sample this: 'You put your heart, your soul and your life, your performance cut through my heart like a knife' he says to one contestant while he says to another, 'Tum ho Tarzan tum ho Samson tum ho Dara Singh, Gwalior se vazan uthane aaye ho, tum ho mere liye King.'
He doesn't mind Farah taking his case as the two share a great camaraderie. A great sport, we wish though he doesn't make reality judging his sole profession!
Our Rating: 3.5 / 5
What do you think?
Kailash Kher
Seen on: Sa Re Ga Ma Little Champs
Pint sized and blessed with a powerful voice, that's Kailash Kher for you. He speaks in chaste and sometimes incomprehensible Hindi and doles out pearls of wisdom to anyone who cares to hear him out.
Prone to speaking long-winded sentences generously peppered with words like 'ruhaniyat', 'sukun', 'dristhipaath', 'swapnalok', 'maula', 'rooh' so on and so forth. He refuses to let go off the mike and loves to show off his command over Hindi.
We like him best when he renders his popular songs. Don't mistake him for a fool because he sure knows how to entertain everyone and doesn't mind a tu tu main main with the show's mahaguru Alka Yagnik, but he is definitely the life of the show, earthy and unpretentious.
Our Rating: 3.5/ 5
What do you think?
Vaibhavi Merchant
Seen on: Just Dance
She is as candid as they come. Extremely easy and chatty, Vaibhavi gives stiff competition to Farah in the 'grams' department, makes a terrific combination with the choreographer-director.
Together, they complement the near-perfect Hrithik Roshan well. Vaibhavi is very Bollywood and nautanki-like, she has a distinct way of talking (words like zatak, phatak, rapak are part of her lingo) and that's her USP.
Not known to mince words, she doesn't need an excuse to go on the stage and let her long hair down She is soon getting into the hall of fame of veteran reality show judges having been there on at least half a dozen of them.
Our Rating: 3 / 5
What do you think?
Sonu Nigam
Seen on: X-Factor
He clearly has X-factor in himself even though sometimes he loves to have his lunch in front of the mirror!
Sonu has an immense fan following -- most contestants call him God and fall at his feet. A stickler for perfection, it's magic to hear him sing and perform.
One of the earliest reality show judges (he started with Indian Idol and has not stopped since), Sonu has all the trappings of a star judge.
Easy on the eye, he mimics, dances, gets into arguments and gets teary-eyed all in a day's work. One of the few singers who we can't have enough of! Sonu bhaiyya for most, the singer is charm-personified.
Our Rating: 4.5/ 5
What do you think?
Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Seen on: The X Factor
He dresses immaculately in bandhgalas, achkans, kurta churidars or just formal suits. Glasses perched on his nose and a rose peeping out of his jacket pocket (which he gives away to the most deserving contestant), SLB may not be high on 'entertainer' quotient but sure is a star.
You will always find him chewing on something (tch tch) and going gung ho with his praise. He gets into that odd spat with his co-judges but nothing that has prompted him to throw his mike at anyone (after all, legend has it that he loves to throw cell phones and whatever he can lay his hands on at people and can't stand mediocrity).
He tends to look uninterested in the proceedings sometimes but what's a Bollywood star without his moods!
Our Rating: 2/ 5
What do you think?
Rakhi Sawant
Seen on: Ghazab Desh Ki Ajab Kahaniyan
The queen of blah is back in her dangerously short dresses and seriously plunging necklines. Blas and brazen, Rakhi lets everything hang out quite literally to woo those television numbers.
Extremely loud, she breaks into obscene lingo and besura songs and does everything possible to keep the show going. While she's supposed to solve people's problems which are as silly as they come (we are sure everyone is paid to be part of this circus), most of the time, she's either having fun at their expense or having her own little number.
It makes you cringe and wonder how someone could be so unabashed on national television, but then you are talking Rakhi Sawant who's never shied away from anything. Thank god for the remote control then.
Our Rating: 1/ 5
What do you think?