Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 4, 2015)

Shreyas Talpade is all set to make his TV debut in the Indian remake of the American sitcom, Everybody Loves Raymond. The show is titled Sumit Sambhal Lega and Shreyas plays Sumit, a sports columnist who is torn between his demanding wife, his spoilt brats and a large dysfunctional family. The US orginal was set in Long Island, this one will have a desi backdrop.

The makers have roped in the writer of the original series, Steve Skrovan, who was a part of the American show through its nine seasons which aired between 1996 and 2005, to write the pilot and oversee the production of the Hindi remake. "The makers will have finalised the cast by the month end. Steve will fly down to Mumbai in September on a one-way ticket," says a source.

Steve is delighted to have Shreyas step into Ray Barone's shoes. He says, "Since I've been a part of this show since the beginning, I got to learn a lot about Indian culture and TV. Sumit Sambhal Lega fits into the Indian space perfectly." And the source adds, "Shreyas makes a perfect Ray. He's not a great looking actor but has good comic timing."

Earlier, Kunal Kemmu was approached for the role, but declined the offer as he didn't want to make the switch from films to TV.