Californication is red hot with chilli and pepper!

It is. Having watched more than a few episodes of the show's first season (courtesy a friend), I can safely say that airing Californication in India would suck the life and soul out of it. The entire foundation on which its storyline stands is sex (duh!). The lead actor (played by David Duchovny) is a troubled writer grappling with writer's block, and sex and alcohol addictions. Of course, he seems to be enjoying every second of it.

Duchovny's own personal problems, that co-incidentally started with this show, mirror that of the character's - his entering rehab for sex addiction, his estrangement with wife Tea Leoni. And this is probably what made the show so (in)famous. Interestingly, Duchovny had appeared in a sex-crime-thriller movie by a similar-sounding name - Kalifornia - in 1993 that had Brad Pitt, who was then an upcoming star!        

Now in its fourth season in the US, Californication has the works: foul language, semi-frontal and back nudity, explicit references to acts of sex, and 'erring' secretaries. So what do you think will happen when Zee Cafe airs it in India? Even though its showing at 11pm, be ready to hear a lot of bleeps and experience plenty of scene jumps. Hell, even the trailer is full of blinking bleeps!

The acting itself is mediocre - his on-screen (estranged) wife played by Natascha McElhone looks as if she's perennially amused by his antics even when we expect her to be completely intolerant to them. His adolescent daughter looks like she's on her way to becoming a Goth with bad acting skills. And Duchovny himself looks least interested - except in the scenes when he gets to have sex with beautiful women!

So it's difficult to say how the show will stand on its own without the best parts. Well, we'll just have to wait till July 25 to see what happens. It's a good thing Indians have a good imagination.