Hum Paanc
| The gang which couldn't tickle the funny bone |
This comedy has a sad ending in its second run
Reena Thapar Kapoor
It has been six months since Hum Paanch reappeared on television. It's a show that has created a benchmark for success. Every youngster today has grown up watching it. The Mathurs of Zee TV who have been famous for their rib-tickling dialogues pleasantly surprised viewers, when they made a grand comeback.
However, the pre-release hype built up by Balaji and Zee TV seems to have failed. Low TRPs and a continuation of the old format seem to have marred the impact of Hum Paanch this time round. As a result, the show is going off air.
Nivedita Basu, Balaji's deputy creative head, confirms the news. "Unfortunately the format of the show didn't click in the second season," she says. "The slapstick comedy that worked a decade ago failed to have the same impact this time."
Does that justify their decision to end the show? Couldn't the format, or the writers, be changed instead? "I agree that comedy has a huge market today. But what worked ten years ago can't possibly work today," she replies. "The audiences are changing and so are their demands. A show like Baa Bahoo Aur Baby works because it includes a message in the comedy, and isn't loud. Unfortunately, Hum Paanch failed to recreate its past glory."
So, who was the one to take the final call on the show, the channel or Balaji? "It was a mutual decision," says Basu. "It wasn't working out for either the channel or us, so the best option was to end it."
Since the entire cast of the show was excited about coming together the second time, how did they take this news? "Understandably, they were upset," she says. "They've been together for five years earlier, and this time for six months. Obviously, they hadn't thought of parting again so soon. We tried our best, but it just didn't work out."
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