What’s your Trump card?

Yet another reality show on yet another English TV channel with yet another bunch of extroverts ready to make a fool of themselves for a few moments of on-screen fame. But here’s how The Apprentice, coming soon on Star World, is different — the setting is the corporate world and the final prize is a $ 250,000-a-year job.

There’s a whole lot of ego-bruising and back-stabbing, power politics and boardroom showdowns, peppered with a little bit of romance, as 16 contestants battle it out for the dream job in New York City. The no-comprises hard-nosed boss is none other than real-estate millionaire Donald Trump (in picture with fiancee Melania Knauss). And the place is Trump Tower.

Divided by gender, the contestants have to compete by completing a set of tasks to test their business skills, from selling lemonade and managing a Jessica Simpson concert, to renovating and renting a Brooklyn apartment in three days. The trick is to avoid being called into the boardroom to hear those two little dreaded words from Trump: “You’re fired.”

One person unceremoniously departs at the end of each episode, while the winners are rewarded with lavish gifts. The show brings out the worst, rather than the best, in people as trust is betrayed and alliances are formed behind backs. It does, however, promise rivetting viewing, as the urban jungle stands exposed in all its ignominious glory.

After finishing its first successful run in the US, NBC is all set to launch the second series. Check out the game on the NBC website, which allows you to clamber up the corporate ladder by dodging your jealous colleagues. But beware, an online visit would mean finding out who the apprentice is. And that would be a shame, for the suspense is sure to get you hooked — as much as hearing the boss shout at another unsuspecting employee.

Lady Robodoc

Bridget: Balancing act

Her surname may have an exotic tang to it, but Bridget Moynahan does not have any connection with this part of the world. Except for the fact that her latest film, the Will Smith-starrer I, Robot is running at a theatre or multiplex near you.

Yes, the “serious” 33-year-old actress plays the 2035 robot psychologist Dr Susan Calvin, whose no-nonsense character in the film complements Smith at his boisterous best.

But more than her acting prowess, Bridget is read, written and spoken about more for her status as the girlfriend of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. And perhaps that is how Bridget wants to be known because she treasures her personal life more than her professional career. Although she has been part of many a plum project in the past decade, Bridget finally wants to settle down and start a family.

The Colin Farrell-Al Pacino-starrer The Recruit made Bridget a highly sought-after actress overnight. But then three big projects of hers got shelved because of problems with the lead actors. With the success of I, Robot, the spotlight is now back on Bridget and she is already on to another biggie, Lord of War alongside Nicolas Cage and Ethan Hawke, to be shot in South Africa.

Packing her bags isn’t happening that soon for Bridget but with her you never really know. So, it’s a good idea to catch her while she is at it, in I, Robot at INOX (Forum and City Centre) and 89 Cinemas.

Keep the faith

June: On a new Lane

Want to see a TV remake of Unfaithful? Keep an eye on Akash Bangla and its Shom Theke Shukro slot. Coming up soon is Haar Mana Haar, with June playing the bored housewife, Kushal Chakraborty the book-dealer husband and model Ananda, the handsome young thing who sweeps our lady off her feet.

Seen rambling among the piles of books at her on-screen hubby’s place (a house in Ranikuthi was the setting for the action) was June, looking aptly bored in thick glasses and hair tied back in a knot. Deep inside, though, the actress was “pretty excited” about taking up the challenge of doing a Diane Lane.

“I loved playing the role, as I have always wanted to do it ever since I saw the film. But portraying the woman’s turmoil between flesh and fidelity was difficult and at the end of the shoot, both Kushal (also the director of the telefilm) and I were left with a heavy heart. The shooting had almost weighed us down,” said June.

Larger than life

She was first seen walking the ramp at fashion shows of top designers. Then she ventured into music videos. But it is in the big bad world of Bollywood that Dipannita Sharma found her true calling. And you can catch lots of her all this month on Channel [V] because she is the [V] Goddess for the whole of August.

Dipannita had made her first foray on the big screen with Mani Shankar’s 16 December, where she played the love interest of Milind Soman. The film was a surprise success and before the next December 16, Dipannita had already bagged quality projects. Then, of course, came the much-talked-about music video of Leslie Lez Lewis’ Ghungta, which became a rage of sorts.

Big screen came calling again with Rajiv Rai casting her in an important cameo in his latest espionage thriller Asambhav. And now she is back playing the lead in the upcoming film 99.9 FM alongside the likes of Shahwar Ali and Raima Sen.

So to know more about the lady who has no problems in getting rid of her ghungta, catch her on [V] as she not only features in the Goddess Special but also gets to host some of the popular shows.

Man in black

Not having enough of your Chhota B, especially after his blink-and-you-miss role in Hum Tum? Well, you will soon get more of the man who had a ball on our Maidan last monsoon, in Dhoom and then Phir Milenge.

But Abhishek is hardly happy with his dress code in the Revathy film where he plays a lawyer. At the music launch of the film in Mumbai, he made his dark dislike quite clear: “I was really bored, waking up every morning and wearing the same lawyer’s black costume and that too for the whole day!”