What’s much better than a hot cup of strong coffee? And for a Chennaiite, a cool breezy evening over a cup of coffee is heaven. What more… Koffee with Anu the chat show on Vijay TV does impress the audience, against the army of other soaps on TV. I have never got to watch the original show “Koffee with Karan” on Star World with Karan Johar. Nevertheless, Anu Hasan, the hostess of the Tamil version, makes the guests feel at home by her avid and bubbly tone.

Originally hosted by Suchitra, an RJ with Radio Mirchi, as ‘Koffee with Suchi’, this programme had lukewarm response, until recently Anu Hasan, niece to Kamalhasan, took up, giving the show a much-needed facelift. Although at times Anu Hasan tends to boss the guests around, the show is fun. The part where people close to the guests speak out trivia about their childhood and personal life, the audience reflect upon their own experiences, and ultimately wear a smile on their faces. Anu Hasan, with her good sense of humor and timely gestures, builds a good rapport with the guests, and the guests feel comfy answering her naughty questions at ease.

I happened to watch last week’s show with the grandmaster Viswanathan Anand and his wife Aruna Anand. I bumped into the show when Anand was already answering a truckload of questions on AIDS and HIV awareness. I was wondering who this doctor, a look-alike of Anand is, answering questions on AIDS… My brother joined the debate, arguing if the person on screen was Anand or somebody else. When Anu Hasan addressed him by his name, we had a good deal of laughter. Anand is an ambassador for the AIDS awareness campaign, and Anu Hasan shooting questions about AIDS was already raising grave doubts in us if that was really Anand!

It was fun knowing the other side of the chess maestro, where he got his wife’s hand because of a cup of coffee. Actually, it was not one cup, but two, and not from his wife, but from his maamiyaar. Also, Aruna Anand, his wife, was a highlight in the show. Her mother’s story of Aruna being a talkative little girl at school gave us a hearty laugh.

The first episode, where Vikram and Simbu were the guests was equally entertaining, and promising too. The show could do further well by bringing in celebrities from different aspects of the society, rather than from films alone, and it is already heading there. The show brings up the hidden other side of the guest, which is why it is a wee bit better than other contemporaries.

Vijay TV, with its plethora of creative programmes seems to be advancing ahead of the other channels in Tamil. Especially, with this sweet cup of coffee…