There are very few shows on Indian TV that become trendsetters. SHAlINI SAKSENA speaks to actors and writers to find out how Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hain joined the league and what sets it apart from other serials
Whenever one talks about Hindi television, it is always centred around daily soap and the usual saas-bahu serials that are full of melodrama, over the top sets and performances, women bedecked in their finery even when asleep. Amid this, if one gets to see a show that has plenty of laughable moments, it finds an instant connect with the viewers and becomes a hit. Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai on &TV is a classic example of this.
Inspired from the 1995 serial Shrimaan Shrimati, this serial has a simple storyline — the male leads’ bid to outdo each other and impress each other’s wives. What makes this sitcom a must watch is that it has a local flavour. It is set in Kanpur, the dialogues and situations are funny and so are the various characters — a corrupt and fat police inspector, Happu Singh; two roadside romeos — Malkhan and Tika; a rickshaw puller Pelu who has yet to utter a single word in the series; then there is Saxenaji the eccentric man who gets a high from taking electric shocks or getting slapped by others.
Then, of course, there are the lead protagonists. Though it is the ladies who take centrestage in the show, it is the male leads who tickle the funny bone. They love their wives but don’t pass up on an opportunity to hit on the other’s wife. It is the situation created in each episode coupled with acting makes this TV viewing so entertaining.
“The characters are very well defined and have been fleshed out very nicely. Second, the language. One doesn’t usually see this kind of Hindi being celebrated. Third, the characters are very real. They find an instant connect with the viewers. Take Anu (Anita). She is a modern woman who is very dominating but doesn’t mind taking the lead in romancing her husband. She is not a vamp nor a sati savitri. Take Angoori; she is very simple with a rural upbringing. These are the kinds of women you would find in real life. This is what the audience is looking for — some laughter at the end of an otherwise stressful life,” Saumya Tandon, who plays Anita opines.
She also tells you that to begin with she was apprehensive in doing this show and didn’t want to be associated with anything that was remotely related to melodrama or daily soap. It took the makers nine months to convince her. “Most of the shows on TV are so OTT and I didn’t want to be a part of it. But when I started playing Anu, I realised how down to earth her character is. I think in the entire series, her’s and Vibhuti’s characters are most real; as a couple they are the kind you would find in reality,” Saumya says, adding that though there is nothing fantabulous as a concept, having the hots for the neighbour’s wife is ageold, it is the way it has been written that makes it so good.
“There are different layers to each character; they are so different from each other. The way Vibhuti flirts with Angoori is so different from the manner in which Tiwari flirts with Anu. Then there are other characters; they are all very original. Most comedy shows have OTT acting and dialogues. Bhabi Ji... in that sense has made a place for itself for being distinct from others,” Tandon tells you.
One is told that the concept had been well thought of from the FIR days. But at that time Shashank Bali, also the director of Bhabi Ji... was busy with FIR. But the minute that went off air last year, Bhabi Ji... found its way to the small screen.
“When we had just shot a couple of episodes of Bhabi Ji... I asked Bali if the serial will work. He only had one thing to say — “Either it will be a trendsetter or be a total flop.” Today, we all know that there are so many people who watch the show; dialogues like ‘sahi pakde hain’, ‘I like it’ and ‘I amsaaary’ have become so popular among viewers that they use it in daily life. In that sense, we are blessed that people have appreciated the show,” Manoj Santoshi, scriptwriter of the show, says.