Dia Mirza is yet another Bollywood denizen to walk into the small screen. Known more as a conservationist rather than just an actor, one couldn’t have possibly thought that she would get into the fiction slot on a GEC. The channel Living Foodz couldn’t have picked a better show host to guide viewers on Sundays on a long journey in Ganga - The Soul of India.

The landmark show marks an important milestone for Living Foodz a premium lifestyle channel, which has consistently pushed the boundaries of food and entertainment since its launch in September 2015. Ganga - The Soul of India gives viewers a peek into the fascinating legacy that is shaped by the Ganges, the country’s longest river. It explores all that the river has to offer, including the people, history, mythology, anthropology, adventure, music and of course the cuisine. Each episode, Dia Mirza will share her discovery and the sense of adventure she has experienced in Ganga -The Soul of India.
Dia Mirza, who is an ardent traveler herself, narrates the multi-faceted story of one of the most extraordinary and scenic rivers in the world - the Ganges. As she does so, she travels through the many towns along the river, from Gomukh in the Himalayas to the Gangasagar delta where the Ganges meets the Bay of Bengal. It is also sprinkled her escapades as she explores the culture, cuisine and crafts of more than half a billion people.
In the process of enjoying the flowing river in all its majesty, Dia Mirza even led a cleanliness drive in Varanasi. Dia’s travelogue is bound to inspire and attract travellers and adventure enthusiasts alike.

In 2000, when Karishma Kapoor starred in Karishma – The Miracles of Destiny an eponymous daily soap on Sahara TV, she broke a Bollywood norm – only actors on the wane turn to television. Karishma Kapoor was still a name to reckon with, yet she chose to work on television as she found the script interesting refuting the idea that she had had her innings. Sridevi stepped out of retirement and did Malini Iyer, a sitcom.

Damages, a US Television series hinges on Glen Close, who is known for judiciousness when it comes to roles. She, of course continues with films. Now, like in the US, film actors in India too are considering Television alongside film roles. Largely, this willingness to do
Television hinges on many factors. Most important is the content change that’s creeping into television; that’s attracting Bollywood talent. When we look back to 2013, Anil Kapoor cast actors like Anupam Kher and Shabana Azmi, in the desi version of 24, while he played the lead role. In 2014, Amitabh Bachchan helmed Anurag Kashyap’s Yudh. Television was reaching out to additional eyeballs. To do that it started inviting content which hitherto hadn’t been explored before.

The shift away from long drawn out melodramas and resorting to a finite number of episodes suits Bollywood’s talent house, such that they are now considering television as a medium. Most of them have appeared in weekend non-fiction show. It won’t be long before Bollywood faces will be regulars on Prime Time.