articles-sarabhai-no comments

  •  
  • Page of 1 Go
  •  
Posted: 18 years ago
'Sarabhai vs Sarabhai'

The cast of Instant Khichdi is slotted to appear in Sarabhai vs Sarabhai on 18 and 19 of April.


Ratna Pathak and Satish Shah: Laughter, the best medicine!
"We wanted to show our range. While we generate smiles in Sarabhai…, in Instant…we aim for peels of laughter. Imagine the situation, where an upper-middle class family finds out that they have crass and loud relatives…," says JD Majethia, the producer of both these shows.

The lovers of the comic genre are truly in for a treat from the house of Hats off Productions, as the two sisters Ratna and Supriya Pathak, play out the roles of long lost sisters who are poles apart. If one is the epitome of high class up-market socialite, the other finds it difficult even to understand English!

Look out for a clash of two cultures on the sets of Instant Khichdi.

Crossover bids are increasingly becoming the norm rather than the exception on television today. It is an innovation that is one of its kind! To get the cast of one popular serial into another on the same channel!

It all perhaps started with the introduction of the entire cast of Star Plus' Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand in Kasauti Zindagi


Supriya Pathak and her family: English...what?
Kay, as part of a marriage between two characters of the serials. This marked an important event in the lives of the four leads in the respective serials. Similarly, the tracks of Sony's CID and CID Special Bureau were merged into one track. Again, the track had serious repercussions on the characters playing the lead roles.

When we had contacted Yash Patnaik, Supervising Producer, CID and CID Special Bureau at the time of the crossover, to ask him whether this was a ploy to increase TRP's of the show, he said, "With our TRP ranging from six to seven, we don't need to worry about competition. This is an endeavour to give that much needed extra kick to CID Special Bureau."

Recently, the cast of Star One's Remix also appeared on a special episode of Lakme Fashion House --- surely, this is an innovation that seems to have caught the attention of tellydom.


Posted: 18 years ago
Malice and laughter...on the same platter!


There is a little malice in all of us...that doesn't necessarily make us bad! But on television, malice seems takes altogether a different form!


Rupali Ganguly - super bitch and super bimbettee par excellence
Twitching eyebrows, lipsticks in colours all shades of the rainbow, words that make you squirm in your seats and sarees that glitter even in the dark, television's naughty ladies have a way to make their presence felt, and why not? They drive TRPs and make the so called sati savitris look even saintlier.

But there is another side to this story. The ladies, responsible thus far for mkaing our favourite bahus cry, now have taken on the task of keeping us in splits! This is not easy --- to hop, skip and jump from one set to the other, from one emotion to the other and, above all, to change from being mean and manipulative to being chirpy and loudmouth...quite a challenge, we say!

But many actresses have done this with lan. Watch Rupali Ganguly in Star One's Sarabhai vs Sarabhai and you will forget that this mumbling dimwit was Sanjivani's conniving Simran. Where Monisha is anything but classy, Simran stands out because she oozes venom, but with a certain degree of class. One twitches her eyebrows while planning something deadly, the other raises her eyebrows even if she has to pay 50 paise more --- quite a role reversal.

"I was really shocked when I was offered this role in Sarabhai…I told them that you have got the wrong person. Here I was this super bitch in Sanjivani, and suddenly I had to play this sweet simple person with no problems in life except the rising prices," laughs Rupali.

!!!!!!
!!!!!!
!!!!!!
!!!!!!
!!!!!!
!!!!!!
!!!!!!
Posted: 18 years ago

Jest a minute, Satishbhai

Chaya Unnikrishnan
Posted online: Friday, March 10, 2006 at 0000 hours IST

The moment he comes on screen, you expect an explosion of laughter. From Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi way back in 1984 to Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai in 2006, the actor has had the viewers in splits. He's the one to have set the ball rolling as far as stand-up comedies go (Phillips Top Ten) on Indian television.

SATISH SHAH
Having been born and brought up in South Mumbai, it wasn't difficult for Satish Shah to get into the skin of his popular onscreen character Indravardhan Sarabhai. "It's a delight to play the role," chuckles Shah who has seen people like Indravardhan from close quarters. Though he is not exactly fond of taking potshots at his erstwhile neighbours or friends, Shah who has a great sense of humour is more than willing to see the funny side. And guess what, for the first time, the actor claims to being paid for what he is best at, acting! When you look askance, the actor explains that so far, a lot was expected from him besides his said profession. "I used to contribute to the scripts and egg my co-artistes to do better. It had come to a point when they had started depending on me. It was a huge responsibility," reveals the ace comedian. It all began with Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi where the actor was the first to be approached with the concept but the last to be cast! He had just graduated from FTII, when his friends Manjul Sinha and Kundan Shah called him for a favour. They had penned a script and wanted him to read it. They were doing a dry run before bouncing it off to producer S S Oberoi and the sponsors, Vicco Laboratories. After getting the go-ahead, they decided to cast Shah as Ranjeet but eventually Shafi Inamdar who hailed from theatre and had an edge over him was roped in. Shah was then considered for Raja's role but since Rakesh Bedi was popular then, thanks to his films, he was taken and Shah was sidelined. Even Swaroop Sampat was Shah's recommendation when Manjul wanted a good-looking girl for Renu's role. Ironically, after having helped to put the team in place, the actor found himself out of the scene. Even the makers were wondering what to do with him. After a lot of deliberation, Sinha decided to give him a cameo in every episode, something which was unheard of. An aghast Kundan tried to put his foot down but Sinha stuck to his gun and took the risk. Needless to say, the gamble paid off and Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi proved to be a milestone in the history of Indian television, a benchmark as far as sitcoms go.
Around the same time, Kundan Shah's dark comedy Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron which went on to become a cult classic, released, in which Satish had an important role, that of a corpse! Says Shah, "Serials like YJHZ and films like JBDY aren't made, they happen. If you look at the script of both you will find nothing outstanding in it. 70 per cent of it was improvised upon by the actors." Surprisingly, the good-looking and pleasantly plump actor didn't cash in on his popularity. At a time when his contemporaries like Shekhar Suman and Kanwaljeet were doing serials a dime a dozen, Shah stuck to one at a time. "I like to concentrate on one project and do quality stuff. Those were the days when everybody powerful and popular wanted to make money. In Doordarshan, people were getting corrupt and instead of being creative, they were being materialistic," he sighs. The cycle continued till private channels came in. "It was the best thing to happen to Indian television," quips Shah. Zee, in its initial years, gave tough competition to DD and Shah was part of its hit brigade. Phillips Top Ten, a song countdown show, had Shah as a stand-up comedian-anchor who donned different guises in every episode. It was a roaring success and according to Shah, had the highest TRPs, around 48! However, after a while, Shah got bored of "talking to the camera" and quit even though the sponsors were willing to give him four times his price. "Frankly, I never liked anchoring a show. It's not my cup of tea. But since I shared a great rapport with Kunal Kohli who was directing Phillips Top Ten, I let myself be coaxed into it," reveals Shah. So, what is his take on laughter shows that have burst onto the scene today? "I don't like it at all. The actors involved in it may get instant fame but what happens after it goes off air?," he points out. Shah himself has been flooded with offers to host shows, but he's turned down all of them. "I am an actor, I need people around me," he reasons. It's remarkabe that Shah, who has done just over a handful of serials in his 22 year career span, has to his credit most of the shows that have either set standards or raised the bar of sitcoms. After YJHZ, the actor alongwith Ratna Pathak Shah, was part of a hilarious filmi take-off Filmi Chakkar. A completely crazy concept, the serial was laugh-a-minute riot. "It came to me in a different format. It was based on a German programme and the couple in that show related every incident in their lives to a similar one in a film. We Indianised it and introduced a song that went with the filmi situation. But Zee wanted us to use only those songs that were in their library and that was creating a writers' bloc. Ashok Pandit suggested that instead of recorded songs we ourselves sing a line or two. That clicked in a terrific way," recalls Shah. But as it happens with every successful show, Filmi Chakkar ran into some trouble with the producers and was taken off air. Later it came in a new avataar as Mast Hai Zindagi with the same team of actors but failed to catch the viewers' fancy. In between, Shah did a few episodes of Farida Jalal's Hum Hain Anadi, 10-15 episodes of Raman Kumar's serial based on the Rajesh Khanna-starrer Bawarchi as a friendly gesture. He also did more than 100 episodes of All The Best which he entered mid-way in place of Shafi Inamdar who passed away. He's also had his of duds in Apun To Wahi Hai which went off the air after 14 episodes. But he's probably the only actor to have featured in both the versions of the same serial. For instance Ghar Jamai. The first one aired on Doordarshan had him playing a father-in-law to Ananth Mahadevan and in the second one aired on Zee and directed by Mahadevan, Madhavan played his son-in-law. "It was a big hit both the times. In the second round, we had to stop after 65 episodes because the channel started interfering. They wanted mine and Madhavan's character to continue fighting like Tom and Jerry which we didn't feel right. We wanted to bring in emotional tracks, but the channel was unwilling. Eventually, we had to give up," recalls Shah. Looking back, the actor has no regrets about doing fewer serials and films even though his film career has been far from trail-blazing. "During my younger days, heroes were not comfortable with me and so I got relegated to smaller roles but now as a character actor, I am getting my due," he informs non-chalantly. His forthcoming films include Satish Kaushik's Milenge Milenge in which he plays Shahid Kapur's father. "It's an interesting role where the father is a big fan of his son. He gives in to all his son's demands and plays along with whatever he says but there's a twist in the end," he says mysteriously. His other films include Meghna Gulzar's film starring Fardeen Khan in the lead. "It's not a run-of-the-mill kind of a movie. Moushumi Chatterjee is playing my wife," he informs. He's also got a bilingual film, a Mauritius collaboration in English and Hindi with Jimmy Shergill in the lead. So, his kitty seems to be full as far as films are concerned. On TV he had Sarabhai ... which has taken a break despite being granted an extension of 26 episodes. The serial will come back with the same team after three months. Shah is looking forward to getting a short breather. "In any case, the moment a role stops exciting me as an actor I quit. But in this case that is not necessary because I had a blast," he grins. The comedian will be seen in one episode of Jodee Kamaal Ki with his wife Madhumita. "We lost but it was fun. Actually I participated in it only because I wanted my wife to face the camera. I thought she will be nervous but she was a pro," laughs the actor. This, however, isn't Madhumita's first appearance on screen. She had played Shah's better half in the first episode of Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi! "Since then she's been a part of my zindagi as my critic and friend. She has a good sense of humour and ours is a easy-going household," he says proudly.

Jodi Kamaal Ki


Sarabhai is not the only surname Ratna and Satish share. They are linked in real life too with a common surname in Shah, and it doesn't end there. Great friends, the two of them get along like a house on fire. That's probably the reason why, whenever the duo has come together be it Filmi Chakkar, Mast Hai Zindagi or Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai they have crackled the screen with their chemistry ...

What makes you the hit jodi?
Satish Shah: We are so comfortable with each other that we can easily do all kinds of scenes, be it fights or initmate bedroom scenes. Even when we are sitting a few feet apart, you'll find a unspoken proximity between us. That is what chemistry is all about. I guess this comes naturally because we take care not to encroach on each other's comfort zones. Ratna Pathak Shah: We have been friends for a long time. As co-stars there is a lot of trust and genuine appreciation between the two of us. You came together for the first time in Filmi Chakkar...
RPS:That's right. During Filmi Chakkar Satish was a great help. The serial had a catchy idea but I had no clue how to go about it. It needed an over-the-top performance. Satish helped me in understanding the concept and then we had a blast. SS: Yes, I remember that in the beginning she had difficulty in digesting the format. Filmi Chakkar was about this couple who compared every situation in their lives to a film which had a similar story. Ratna was not getting the hang of it. I felt she was holding back a little. That's when I told her, we were supposed to be huge film buffs who seriously believe in singing songs related to the situation. She got the idea and then there was no stopping her. Yet, your pair was not repeated...
SS: Yes, unlike in films, a hit television pair is not repeated because the producers feel that it will cause viewer fatigue. According to producers the serial would have lost its newness if they'd cast us together. RPS: Actually, the long gap has worked to our advantage. It has helped retain the freshness of our pair.

Ratna Pathak Shah
Here's ratna!


She first made her presence on screen with a laugh-riot Idhar Udhar aired two decades ago on Doordarshan. Since then, Ratna Pathak Shah has done few serials but the actor is busy with Motley, a theatre group headed by her husband Naseeruddin Shah. She's also a part of Avehi-Abascus which is developing a curriculum for secondary students. A tete-a-tete

You were amongst the first ones to appear on television but despite being a part of a popular comedy Idhar Udhar you were hardly seen on the small screen ...
When I did Idhar Udhar, everybody was learning on the job. Over the years, I have found that writing is very mediocre in television. The script which is very important, specially for a sitcom, is weak. You find writers re-working on the script at the last minute on the sets. Also, TV is not like a film which is a one-off thing. Serials are ongoing and you have to give it the same energy levels which may not always be possible. What attracted you to Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai?
I have seen and enjoyed most of the Gujarati plays done by JD Majethia, Aatish Kapadia and Deven Bhojani. What's more I am fond of them and like their attitude towards each other. When I was offered the role, I thought it was a good idea though I didn't know what it would look like on screen. But Aatish seemed very confident and as we went along, I realised that Maya Sarabhai is a fantastic character. She can be mean, bad and still get away with it. As Maya I am getting to do all those things I wouldn't have dreamt of doing in real life. (laughs) Will you be taking up any other serial?
No, not right now. There's nothing that excites me. I would love to be a part of a detective series, something like The Practice or the ones written by Sherlock Holmes or Ruth Randell. But the detective serials that I have seen here are very shabby. The plots are either improbable or boring. You aren't seen much in films either.
Honestly, I haven't been offered many films. I can't say I am sorry about that's because I would have turned down many of them, anyway. I am sure the offers would have been for bhabhi, chachi or sister roles with nothing substantial to do. So, what are you playing in Yun Hota To Kya - What If? How is it working under under Nasseruddin Shah's direction?
Oh, I have done many plays with him and I am in tune with his style of working. Yun Hota To.. is a set of four stories and I feature in one of them. I am playing an out-of-work film extra artiste who has had a relationship with Paresh Rawal. What happens when the two meet again after a long time is what our track is all about. My portion got over in four days which was too soon for me. I really enjoyed doing the film! Any other film in the pipeline?
There's one other project for which talks are on. I wouldn't like to reveal it till it's finalised. You are also actively involved in your theatre group Motley...
That's right. Soon we will be launching Katha Collage 2. It's been designed by Naseer. Even my daughter Heeba will be acting in it. How do you zero in on stories for your play?
We look around for plays everywhere. It was Naseer's idea of doing stories of Sadat Hassan Manto, Premchand, Kamtanath in English. Actually, now, even I feel like doing a play. We are intrigued about your project Avehi Abascus.
Avehi Abascus was founded in 1990 by a group of like-minded people. We prepare educational kits for class 5, 6 and 7 which can be studied alongwith the school syllabus. We have developed six kits for teachers, two per year. So far, 200 muncipal schools in Mumbai are using it and from June onwards it will reach 900 schools. The curriculum encourages children to discuss and generate ideas. Your pairing with your sister Supriya Pathak was a huge hit. Yet, nobody has thought of casting you together...
We did try to revive Idhar Udhar but it fell flat. There was one crossover episode of Instant Khichdi and Sarabhai Vs Sarabhair where we teamed together. I love working with my sister.

Does comedy come naturally to you?
No, by nature I am not a very funny person. My jokes always fall flat because I never get the punchline right. I have to work at my ability to perform a comic situation. I think a comedian should have the physical skills and excellent body control for sharp twists and turns like Lucille Ball who did all kinds of things including singing and dancing.

Edited by Exoctica - 18 years ago
Posted: 18 years ago

Sarabhai.. takes a break


Chaya Unnikrishnan
Posted online: Friday, March 10, 2006 at 0000 hours IST

Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai, the popular show on Star One, is taking a break despite being granted an extension of 26 episodes. Says producer JD Majethia, "We are not taking that extension now. We want to renovate the sets and bring in different elements into the story." The channel and producers were hoping that their quest for Rosheshs bride would throw up a good actress and that they could continue the series with this new angle. But that didnt happen because none of the applicants fitted the role. Though they were not short in enthusiasm they were found sadly lacking in histrionics. And so the need for a short sabbatical. The series will be back with the same team after three months. In the interim, Star One will be airing 16 of Best Of Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai episodes daily, starting March 6 at 8.30 pm.

Hats Off Production is also producing another social thriller for Star, the shooting for which commences in two weeks. Majethia is however unwilling to divulge any details about this hush-hush projectSarabhai.. takes a break

Chaya Unnikrishnan
Posted online: Friday, March 10, 2006 at 0000 hours IST

Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai, the popular show on Star One, is taking a break despite being granted an extension of 26 episodes. Says producer JD Majethia, "We are not taking that extension now. We want to renovate the sets and bring in different elements into the story." The channel and producers were hoping that their quest for Rosheshs bride would throw up a good actress and that they could continue the series with this new angle. But that didnt happen because none of the applicants fitted the role. Though they were not short in enthusiasm they were found sadly lacking in histrionics. And so the need for a short sabbatical. The series will be back with the same team after three months. In the interim, Star One will be airing 16 of Best Of Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai episodes daily, starting March 6 at 8.30 pm.

Hats Off Production is also producing another social thriller for Star, the shooting for which commences in two weeks. Majethia is however unwilling to divulge any details about this hush-hush project

Edited by Exoctica - 18 years ago
Posted: 18 years ago
Mallika Sherawat covers up for TV debut
   By: Shaheen Parkar
   May 2, 2005
------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------


PULLING A FAST ONE: Indravadhan (Satish Shah), Maya (Ratna Pathak Shah) and Mallika Sherawat
The prim 'n propah Maya (Ratna Pathak Shah) of the Star One weekly Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai is in for a shock.

And for once, it is not the fault of her cost-cutting daughter-in-law Monisha (Rupali Ganguli). Maya falls prey to a smooth-talking Haryanvi con woman who dupes her.

Essaying the role of this impersonator is Bollywood's sex symbol Mallika Sherawat. But for her small screen debut, Sherawat is all covered up. What's more, she's even got a pallu on her head!

The actress will be seen in Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai in the May 16 episode. Her role is that of a "meethi churi" who takes the Sarabhais for a ride.

She first has the men folk of the Sarabhai household — Indravadhan (Satish Shah), Sahil (Sumeet Rahavan) and Roshesh (Rajesh Kumar) — buzzing around her like bees; when Maya realises her folly, she has already vanished into thin air.

According to producer J D Majethia, "Mallika is a big fan of the Sarabhais. She regularly catches up on the drama. She was really glad to be part of the show and enjoyed herself at the shoot."

Sherawat shot for Sarabhai on Friday at Kanjur Marg studio. "It was through the channel (Star One) and common friends that Sherawat agreed to star in the TV serial," says Majethia.

The episode will have the uppity Maya expressing a desire to help a destitute woman.

Enter Mallika, as a Harayanvi con woman, and definitely not the bechari. As soon as she enters the Sarabhai house, she makes everything go topsy-turvy.

As the men are drawn to her like magnets, Maya and Monisha have to bear the brunt.

Mallika also manages to create discord between Maya and her mamma's boy son Roshesh. Finally, she polishes off a lot of valuables and money before disappearing from the Sarabhai household.

Later, Maya gets a call from the NGO organisation saying that the destitute woman can't come! They have all been waylaid by the smooth talk of Mallika!

Adds Majethia, "Mallika was extremely professional and shot till late at night to complete the shoot. She's extremely good at on-the-spot improvisations, which is so important for a comedy.

She put in her own rustic Haryanvi touches to offset Maya's polished and refined persona. Mallika meeting Maya will be a sheer delight."



Posted: 18 years ago
The Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai saga


This sitcom, written by Aatish Kapadia (well-know for his one-liners), is set in a dysfunctional south Mumbai family.

The retired Indravadan Sarabhai (Satish Shah) is the peacemaker between his wife Maya (Ratna Pathak Shah) and their son Sahil Sarabhai (Sumeet Raghavan) and his wife Monisha (Rupali Ganguli), who stays in the flat next door.

Monisha, a middle-class girl, is always on the lookout for freebies and "buy one, get three", offers much to the chagrin of Maya who considers herself the priestess of high society.

There is also Roshesh, Sahil's younger brother, a complete mama's boy who pens poetry about his mother!

Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai airs every Monday at 9 pm on Star One.
Posted: 18 years ago
Lunching with the Sarabhais!

Srabanti Chakrabarti | March 29, 2005 15:45 IST


When the television channel Star One was launched, it was meant to be the Hindi counterpart of Star World.

A few months down the line, Star One has met with reasonable success.

A large share of the credit goes to the weekly sitcom Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai, starring Satish Shah, Ratna Pathak-Shah, Sumeet Raghavan, Rupali Ganguly and Rajesh Kumar (The show airs on Monday, 9 pm with a repeat show at 11.30 pm. You can also catch it on Tuesdays at 12 pm and Sundays, 6.30 pm).

A visit to the sets makes one realise why the sitcom is so successful.

Teamwork is undoubtedly the main ingredient behind the serial's rising TRPs.

More on rediff.com!




Shamita: 'I didn't have to struggle'

Priyanka to play choti bahu
Why Rahman gave music to Bose


Sarabhai vs Sarabhai is the story of a typical upmarket Malabar Hill (in Mumbai) family.

Saahil (Sumeet Raghavan), a cosmetic surgeon with a golden heart, can never say no to the two women in his life -- his wife and his mother -- which is why he typically tends to get caught between them.

While he struggles to play peacemaker, his father, Indravadan (Satish Shah), loves to pit the two women against each other. He then sits back to enjoy the ensuing drama.

Sahil's la-di-dah mother, Maya (Ratna Pathak-Shah), wants her lifestyle and her family to reflect the standards of her society. Her biggest stumbling block is her rather middle class, melodramatic daughter-in-law, Monisha (Rupali Ganguly), who looks to save a rupee, clinch a bargain or grab a freebie wherever she can.

The other players in the tale are Sahil's brother Roshesh (Rajesh Kumar), a mama's boy and a wannabe actor waiting for his mom to find him the right bride, Sonya -- Sahil's sister whose life revolves around tarot cards -- and her husband Dushyant (played by the serial's director, Deven Bhojwani) who is obsessed with gizmos and loves explaining anything and everything in the greatest possible detail.

Says Satish Shah, "We work as a family in the serial. The ambience is so nice that we hardly feel tired after a day's work. Atish Kapadia (the scriptwriter) has a fantastic sense of humour which is reflected in the excellent script."

Satish feels the character of Indravadan is very close to what he is in real life. "I don't feel I am acting when I am shooting for the serial!" he grins.

Ratna agrees. "I enjoy working for this serial. Since the story is set in upmarket Malabar Hills, you need a producer who is willing to spend on the sets, create the right ambience and relate to the story in general. You cannot play a posh character in a shabby set! I am happy that Hats Off Productions has taken care of these issues."

The production values are evident in the huge set built at Mansukhani Industrial Estate near Kanjur Marg, a central Mumbai suburb.

Though it consists of two rooms, a corridor and a lift, the look on screen -- courtesy the camera effects -- is of two different worlds. Red dominates Saahil and Monisha's home, while Indravadan and Maya's domain is dominated by blue and green.

Once on the set, there is no way one can miss the designer candle stands in all the rooms. Every element has carefully designed by art director Omung Kumar, known for his sets in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black and in television serials like Kaun Banega Crorepati.

Located at two ends of the living room (which is common for both the Sarabhais) are two concept kitchens. But what strikes you most is the backdrop of the famous queen's necklace on Marine Drive.

Satish explains, "The backdrop is lit up during a night sequence and the lights switched off during a day scene to give you the real feel of Mumbai!"

In keeping with the colours of the room, Satish was wearing blue jeans and green T-shirt for the day's shoot.

A rather dishevelled-looking Rupali Ganguli rushes in wearing jeans and short kurta. It takes her a while to settle down. "I did not expect this role; frankly, I was rather surprised when it was offered to me. This is my first comedy role; I played a vamp in Sanjeevani," she says.

Rupali feels she is lucky that her first comedy serial is a success. "It might sound clichd but I am a lot like the character I am playing. Like Monisha, Rupali in real life is also carefree, superstitious and unkempt."

Rajesh Kumar, who plays Roshesh, is quite pleased with his role as well. "I have been playing emotional characters throughout my career," he says. "This is the first time I am acting in a comedy. I was quite surprised when I was made to change my hairstyle during the shooting! And, let me make it clear (he smiles), I am not like Roshesh at all. The only similarity is that I am a mama's boy off-screen as well!"

Sumeet Raghavan was missing; he was in the US for a show. But the crew were all praise for him as an actor and human being.

Deven Bhojwani, the director of the serial, has dabbled in comedy as an actor as well -- he was part of the hit soap Dekh Bhai Dekh. Says Bhojwani, "I am very lucky to have got the opportunity to direct a serial like this. The entire crew has been extremely supportive."

JD, the producer, adds that on April 18 and 19, there will be a crossover between two serials, Instant Khichdi and Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai. "The serials are very different from each other. While the first one is very downmarket, Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai is extremely upmarket. We are trying to make the twain meet!"

Bhojwani, Kapadia and JD have been best of friends for more than two decades and the camaraderie is evident. Our visit to the set visit ended with a delicious Gujarati lunch!

Posted: 18 years ago
PROFILE: Rajesh Kumar

Nitin Joshi

Roshesh Sarabhai? ''Moma Moma ... Tumne mujhe janam diya ... sabse achcha karam kiya'', for you tellyfolks. Fabulous display of histrionics by the very talented Rajesh Kumar who in real life is no where close to Roshesh. Very humble, serious, well-spoken, no screech in his voice like Roshesh and no, he doesn't call his mom, moma but Mummy and Ma instead. ''Comedy is serious business,'' feels Rajesh who's got it all with Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai produced by Aatish Kapadia and Jamnadas Majhetia.

Name, fame, money, recognition, awards - everything. ''And I am grateful to Aatish and JD. I remember I did an audition for Roshesh for over four hours and they were so supportive. I did a few episodes of Khichdi when they told me about Roshesh,'' recalls Rajesh who did plenty of home work for about a month before starting off on the show. ''I had to prepare for Roshesh. Pick up a few mannerisms. Work on that screechy voice. I had to get the chord right. It was a challenge. And I must say Roshesh is a difficult part to play. More so because I had not done comedy before,'' admits the actor.


Rajesh has done serious roles in serials like Kkusum, Kaun Apna Kaun Paraya, Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand, Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka. Of course these days you also see him in Ba Bahoo Aur Baby in which he plays Subodh, a complete contrast to Roshesh. ''He is a kind of Krishna of the house. Everyone likes him. He is the loving, obedient, sensible son. The bhabhis share everything with him. It's a nice character, very different from Roshesh. I needed that break,'' he smiles and confesses that it was Sarabhai that changed everything for him. ''Everything followed after that. Till then I was known as Kkusum's brother or the psycho in Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka. Sarabhai has given me everything''. Now, he feels very honoured and excited as they are on the look out for a bride for Roshesh all over the country. And it's really flattering as they have got a lot of entries from all over which they will shortlist and then choose that one girl who will be Roshesh's bride. ''It's a unique idea where a hunt for the bride is on,'' he sayss and adds naughtily, ''There have been a few guys who have also sent in their bio data''.

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=167568


Posted: 18 years ago
'I am a dimwit...!': Rupali Ganguli
http://www.tellychakkar.com/y2k5/march/23march/feature_rupal i.php

"I am Monisha. Completely. I am a dimwit, I bargain even at Shopper's Stop, I am a terrible cook, and, yes, I am very


Rupali Ganguli: Making an impression!
clumsy," laughs Rupali Ganguli, who plays Monisha in Star One's Sarabhai vs Sarabhai.

This, from a lady who has done such a wide array of roles that could easily make other actors on the telly, green with envy!

Sample this --- a double role in Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahi, a negative character in Star Plus' Sanjivani, a mentally unbalanced girl in Sahara's Zindagi Teri Meri Kahani, a prostitute in Bhabhi, a politician in Star Plus' Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii and her favourite, Monisha, a stingy middle-class housewife in an upper middle class household, in Star One's Sarabhai vs Sarabhai. All these characters being as different from one another as chalk from cheese.

Surprisingly, Rupali has also managed to act in one of the saas-bahu serials, without being typecast as a long suffering bahu! "I have done enough of that in Sanjivani, heavy make-up and the jewellery. I want to do something different every time, otherwise, however big the banner, I am not interested," says Rupali vehemently.


With co-star Sumeet Raghavan
Suddenly the media cannot have enough of her, it seems. People have started to see her as a serious actress and she has realized that her hard work has paid off. She still finds it a little disconcerting that people recognize her on the streets and she tells us that her mother constantly reprimands her for not dressing up properly, when outdoors, saying," Ab log dekhte hai." ( Now people recognize you!).
Daughter of acclaimed film director Anil Ganguli, who has made films like Kora Kagaz, Rupali has carved a niche for herself on the telly. She started acting when she was seven years old with a bit role in the film, Saheb, following it up with an award winning performance in her father's film, Bolidaan. But after doing a couple of forgettable films, she decided that this was "rubbish" and gave it all up. She did not even give screen tests, but concentrated on theatre and gave a commendable performance in Papa Don't Preach.

Fortunately for telly viewers, God had other things planned for this lovely lady! Soon after, she got calls to audition for roles in different serials, and then there was no looking back. We ask her about her dream role and she tells us that she would like to play a schizophrenic character, and 20 years down the line she would just love to play Maya, Ratna

Pathak's character in Sarabhai vs Sarabhai. She is hoping that one day she will be offered a role similar to the character that Jaya Bachchan played in Kora Kagaz.

Talk about Sarabhai vs Sarabhai and we hear Monisha, not Rupali, pour her heart out. She tells us how the rest of the cast are forever on her case and how Ratna Pathak ( her mother-in-law in the comedy) comes to her rescue ---- "but there are times when even she joins in," says Rupali, who says that initially she was in awe of this great actor but warmed upto to her once they started sharing a room while working on the show.

Whatever else Rupali might well be, she is certainly not a dimwit. She is an artiste who has made her presence felt in shows that had senior actors in them. A versatile actress, she plays out her characters with an ease that makes us wonder if she was acting out parts of her own life!

  1  

Related Topics

No Related topics found

Topic Info

3 Participants 8 Replies 2756Views

Topic started by exquisite gal

Last replied by uvcraziestfan

loader
loader
up-open TOP