Shekhar Suman is back on TV with sitcom show Saath Phero Ki Hera Pherie, a marital comedy. He talks to Sangeeta Yadav about what makes a comedy a hit
From the times of Dekh Bhai Dekh, Shrimaan Shrimati, Office Office, Hum Paanch, Khichdi, Sarabhai vs Sarabhai to now Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashma, Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain and the upcoming show Saath Phero Ki Hera Pherie, the sitcom genre has been experimented with by many showmakers who have churned out some everlasting comedy shows. To make a good comedy show is not everyone’s cup of tea but those who have worked on it say that one needs to have a good sense of humor and a great script. Some say that actors’ comic timing is the key.
For actor-turned-director Shekhar Suman, who is making a comeback on TV with a sitcom show Saath Phero Ki Hera Pherie on SAB TV, a good comedy should be cute too which one would get to see in the new show of his.
“The show Saat Phero Ki Hera Pherie is all about comedy between husband and wife and despite the fact that they always clash with each other, their find a common ground to just be together in a harmonious relationship. We have shown two kinds of couple — one which I play — a dominating husband who likes to boss his wife and considers that thinking is not women’s job and all the hard work is done by the husband and the second — a henpecked husband who is scared of his wife who wears the pants in the house. The two families live in the same building but there is always some problem cropping up thanks to a bachelor. How they solve these issues is interesting to watch,” Suman says.
Talking about if he has taken any instances from real life in this show, Suman says: “Maybe consciously or unconsciously. From time to time, I have been assertive at home but have hated myself. Alka (wife) is the most loving person. We just need to be more gentle towards them as women are fragile. There have been times when I have said that ‘No, I think I am right’. But the fact is nobody’s right or wrong. It is the situation that makes us react in a certain way.”
To make good comedy show, Suman believes what is more important is to know what not to do. “For the sake of laughter, you probably end up insulting somebody. There are many other ways to make people laugh. You don’t have to be a sexist or crack a joke at the expense of another. Everything has to be in the realms of being cute and lovable instead of being offensive because while it might be funny to you, it may not be so to your audience. People have to fall in love with those characters in order to understand and strike a chord with them. Moreover, actors don’t need to over-improvise to bring more punches. Everything has to be natural that is how comedy functions. I have experienced the same in Dekh Bhai Dekh where every character was remarkable,” Suman says.
With shows like Dekh Bhai Dekh and going on to hosting his own comedy show Movers and Shakers, and being a judge on The Great Indian laughter Challenge, to his credit, Suman says that the trend of sitcoms changed to daily soaps that became TRP driven because of which he disappeared from the scene.
“Gone are the days when we had fantastic writers who gave us great series like Khandan, Tamas, Dekh Bhai Dekh, Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi, Buniyaad, etc. After they got over, things changed on TV and everything became TRP driven. Aesthetics and talent took a backseat and naagin, chudails, bhoot and rakshas became the heroes. All the saas-bahu saga, kitchen politics and cliché love stories is something I refuse to be a part of. My creative pursuit shifted to films and Movers and Shakers. Even while I was hosting the show, I was acting as a host who was reverent, street smart and ready to pull your other’s leg. But I decided to end the show as I realised that the comedy was getting better of me which is not me. I felt I was very good at it and I overstayed in that show. It was getting complacent, there was no challenge left and I needed to do something different. That is why I shifted to films and also doing theatre as well,” Suman says.