Popular sitcom Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai! is making its way to the big screen. HT City has exclusively learnt that while the main cast — Shubhangi Atre, Rohitashv Gour and Aasif Sheikh — will return, new faces like Ravi Kishan, Mukesh Tiwari, and Brijendra Kala will also be part of the film.

The film was shot entirely in Mussoorie and Dehradun — in 20 days! We reached out to Shubhangi, who plays the role of Angoori Bhabhi confirmed the quick shoot and joked, “We should be in the Guinness Records!”

She further shared, “Bohot thand mein shooting ki humne. It was exciting, and the shoot was completed in March. It’s a complete laughter ride!”

Will there be any change in the treatment of her character in the film? “Angoori kuch alag karti hui dikhegi. It is a surprise for the fans. The love they have given to the show, I hope they give to the film as well! Bohot dil se banayi hui film hai!” Shubhangi says.

She has announced her exit from the TV show after 10 years, saying, “I have lived and loved this character with all my heart, but now it is time to move on.” Her final appearance will be next week.

Amid the chaos of the courtroom, the legal battles and the pursuit of justice lies a realm that is rarely explored—the backstage of the legal world. Netflix’s Maamla Legal Hai, written by Saurabh Khanna and Kunal Aneja, offers viewers a light-hearted glimpse into the everyday lives of lawyers, judges, court staff, and those who come to seek justice. From bizarre cases to workplace banter, the Ravi Kishan, Nidhi Bisht, Tanvi Azmi and Brijendra Kala-starrer looks at the legal system from a comedic lens. mid-day explores the series’ journey from script to screen and what went into creating director Rahul Pandey’s directorial venture that is both a laugh riot and dark.

It all started with Aneja receiving an e-mail from co-writer Khanna that explained the story. As he delved into the material, he realized the potential and found himself captivated by the legal world. 

Aneja recalls, “I had not seen such a take on the legal world. Generally, in films and series, the story is based on one case, and it ends when the case ends. Our approach was to treat it like a workplace comedy, with the background of a sessions court. [It focuses] on the everyday lives of a lawyer, a judge and how the court managers deal with things. The idea was always to make a binge-able comedy series.”

While they began scripting in 2022, it took the duo a year-and-a-half to lock the cases. They drew inspiration from real-life court cases, which took them to the district courts in Delhi. “[We came across] so many bizarre cases because the right to legal remedy cannot be denied to anyone. In the first case, wherein a husband files for divorce because his new bride didn’t shy away on the first night, a regular person can ignore it, but the judge has to listen. We went to almost all the district courts in Delhi. Khanna has a friend who is a lawyer in Saket court, so we went there several times,” shares the writer, who was also in touch with other lawyers for information.

While many shows and films focus on lawyers and judges, Aneja also examined the workforce behind the scenes. “A staff of almost 100 people is running the show; it is their job to manage cases, send the public attending cases to the right courtroom, and manage parking. That is how the character of Vishwas [played by Anant Joshi] came to be,” he explains.

For director Pandey, who was brought on board by showrunner Sameer Saxena, it was initially difficult to believe that such cases existed. The selection of the cases was a meticulous process that had to match the character’s trajectory.

“By the time I joined [the team], the cases were more or less locked. There were a lot of cases that didn’t make it to the final eight,” says Pandey.

Aneja gives one instance—in a weird turn of events, a daughter had sued her father for cheating in a game of Ludo. “Our cases had to be such that they went with the character’s journey. For example, the case of the parrot using abusive language was to show Sujata’s [Bisht’s character] journey of finally fighting a case on her own. There was a case between Starbucks and [another brand] called Sardarbucks. As a citizen, I can easily say it’s [blatant] copying, but in court, you have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the name has been copied. But we didn’t use it [as it didn’t take the narrative ahead].”

Before facing the camera, the cast underwent workshops and rehearsals. The exercise gave Pandey the opportunity to finalise the series’ treatment. “I had decided that between the punchline and realistic treatment, I would go with the latter. Sometimes, the jokes that are landing very well while shooting might not work on the edit table, and vice versa. So, we had to be careful of that,” he shares.

As a director, he claims there are three things he would never compromise on, the first being the support of the cast. He was grateful when veteran actors contributed to making the scene look better. He remembers how Kishan, who had missed a few rehearsals, would give suggestions that would elevate the sequence.

“My favourite scenes were the ones with Brijendra Kala. In the scene where Sujata suggests to Tanvi Azmi’s judge character that the prosecutor has also [used profanities] for her, BK responds with a quick ‘no, no, no’. These were nuances he added to the character.”

The second factor was the set production. He recalls reading an article about a case in a Dhanbad district court where a person refused to testify in the absence of a dock. “The opening scene is where the [courtroom clerks] cart a dock for a witness to testify. That idea was to keep the look and feel real. The last factor is the edit. We even kept the bit when Ravi Kishan’s character fumbles in one of his speeches to [make it more] realistic.”

While navigating the comedic landscape, Aneja and Pandey were careful not to offend the legal community. They say that lawyers have applauded the series for its authenticity and humour. “While writing, we wondered if we were offending anyone because that was never the intention. Luckily, the lawyers who have reached out to us have liked the show,” assures Aneja. Pandey adds, “No matter which community got offended, we were sure the lawyer community would not because their notions of right and wrong are also legally driven.”

Director Rahul Pandey and Brijendra Kala going over scenes

Murder mysteries, by their very design, have the potential to grab eyeballs. Swara Bhasker is set to take a stab at the genre with her next, Mimamsa, which focuses on a case of serial killings. Bhasker, who has played a tough-as-nails cop in Eros Now’s Flesh, dons the uniform again as she portrays the role of investigating officer Adhira Dixit, tasked with the case.

As soon as the lockdown restrictions were lifted last year, director Gagan Puri and his team rolled up their sleeves and got to work. “The experience of shooting for the movie was one of a kind as it kept me emotionally invested throughout the stint. This was the first film I shot for after the lockdown last year; that makes the project special. It helped me have a sense of gratitude for the work I do,” says Bhasker, who completed the film over a start-to-finish schedule in Bhopal. While she promises shocking twists that are a staple of the genre, the actor believes the material is equally “thought-provoking”.

Puri is currently neck-deep in work, overseeing the post-production of the movie that also features Brijendra Kala. The director considers himself lucky to have earned a nod from the accomplished actors. “We have tried to keep a sense of mystery in the movie, and with talented actors like Swara and Brijendra on board, it only adds to the buzz,” he says.