Showing posts with label Hum Paanch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hum Paanch. Show all posts
I’m fine with playing mother to an actor my age; it challenges the actor in me-Vandana Pathak
10:31 AM
Hasti Doshi (BOMBAY TIMES; July 22, 2025)
In the TV show Tumm Se Tumm Tak, Vandana Pathak plays mother to Sharad Kelkar, who in real life is her age. So, does it bother her? “I was a part of Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka, where I played an older character. For an actor, it is challenging to portray characters that are younger or older than their actual age. For me, that has never been an issue. In fact, it challenges the actor in me. I’m fine with playing mother to an actor my age,” she replies, adding, “I believe it is my background in theatre which has shaped this mindset.”
Viewers associate Vandana more with comedy because of her past roles, but she doesn’t feel she has been typecast. She says, “When Khichdi was on, people felt that I might get typecast in comedy roles, but I have done roles in other genres, too. So I don’t let these things bother me.”
Despite her three-decade-long career, Vandana says she still has the enthusiasm of a newcomer. “For an actor, if you are satisfied, then it’s over. I still have the hunger. I took time off from work when my kids were younger. I’ve managed to balance things well, and maybe that’s why I’m still here, working.”
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Back after 11 years, Vandana Pathak embraces new show Tumm Se Tumm Tak, holding her father’s advice close to heart
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; July 22, 2025)
After an 11-year hiatus from daily soaps, veteran actor Vandana Pathak is back on the small screen with Tumm Se Tumm Tak. Known for her iconic roles in Khichdi and Hum Paanch, Pathak opened up about the shifting trends in Indian television and why she chose to return now. While her classic shows are fan favourites, she says she “rarely watches her old shows”. “Nowadays, because of Instagram, clips and videos are everywhere. It’s mostly Khichdi because the younger generation doesn’t know Hum Paanch as much.”
She admits that TV shows back in the day told “soulful stories”, and the shift from weekly to daily programming impacted content quality. “Change is natural. A weekly show had its own charm; people used to wait for a week. Now, we don’t have time.”
However, she remains optimistic, believing change will follow once viewers start seeking meaningful content. “Frankly speaking, I’m coming after such a long time. When you’re working in TV, you watch other shows. Even if you don’t, you know what’s happening. My father [Arvind Vaidya] is in Anupamaa, so I know about it. I cannot debate on content, but I feel there is a need for an arc.”
It’s become increasingly common for Indian entertainment to remake regional shows for wider reach. Tumm Se Tumm Tak, which marks Pathak’s return, shares thematic similarities with the Kannada show Jothe Jothiyali, which ran for three years.
When asked why channels prefer adaptations over original content, she shares, “It’s ultimately between the producer and the channel. Sometimes remakes don’t work, and sometimes they do wonders. Dubbed and adapted content can take actors far and reach out to larger audiences.”
While long-running shows often lead actors to complain about monotony, Pathak follows advice from her father to stay grounded. “My father says, ‘Take one scene at a time and live every day’. Even at 84, he shoots for 20 to 22 days a month. He enjoys it. And I’m just like that. I enjoy my work.”
I remember Vidya Balan from Hum Paanch, and my first thought was, ‘Who is this sunshine?’-Shefali Shah
8:25 AM
Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 19, 2022)
The thriller-drama Jalsa, released yesterday on Amazon Prime, marks the first collaboration between actors Vidya Balan and Shefali Shah. Balan, who plays a journalist in the film, lauds her co-star and says, “I always enjoy watching Shefali [on screen]. I was thrilled that we got to work together on this project. It’s fulfilling when you work with an actor like her. Unfortunately, we don’t have too many scenes together.”
Shah, on the other hand, talks about how the Sherni (2021) actor inspired her professionally and personally. She says, “I remember her (Balan) from Hum Paanch (TV show), and my first thought was, ‘Who is this sunshine?’ I’ve met her before at parties and screenings, but we never interacted closely. We occasionally used to call each other up if we liked one another’s work. Not only is she an amazing actor, but also a beautiful human being. She’s a woman who inspires [everyone].”
Balan, who has been in thrillers such as Kahaani (2012) and Te3n (2016), reveals that she is fascinated by the genre: “I love edge-of-the-seat thrillers. It’s one of my favourites. I’d like to qualify Jalsa as a dramatic thriller, and I think this is a very unique space for me as I get to delve into the grey (area) with my character for the first time.”
The Suresh Triveni directorial sees Shah playing a raging mother. Happy that a mum’s role is more nuanced in today’s time, the 49-year-old says, “Unfortunately, much like real life, mothers are identified by the relationship they share with the primary character, and not by who they individually are. A mum is now a full-fledged character, and that is coming across [more clearly now] because of the writing and making. I’m a mum, and there’s both good and ugly in me.”
The theatres have opened up now and a slew of movies are lining up for a big screen release. Ask them if they are apprehensive about Jalsa’s release on OTT and not in theatres, and Balan, 43, says, “Not at all! It’s meant for the global audience. Both the story and the narrative are universal. I’m very happy that we’re able to take it to 240 countries.”
Shah agrees and adds, “When a film is released on OTT, it will be there for posterity, and its fate isn’t determined by the collection it makes on the first weekend. We all want to be a part of global cinema.”
I don’t answer most calls these days-Shoma Anand
8:02 AM
Shoma Anand with screen family of Hum Paanch; Vidya Balan (below) had replaced Amita Nangia (3rd from left) as the second daughter
Shoma Anand not keen on comeback but would relent for Hum Paanch
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 27, 2020)
Hum Paanch, one of Ekta Kapoor’s first productions, is among past TV gems that have returned to prime time during the Coronavirus lockdown. In 2020, the sitcom, featuring a couple (Ashok Saraf and Shoma Anand) and their five fiesty daughters, completes 25 years since its premiere.Shoma is happy that her screen family is celebrating the show’s silver jubilee by bringing joy to people in a difficult time. “It makes me nostalgic about old days and how we looked then,” she says, adding that the cast has been in touch over the years. “This is a family I created for a lifetime, unlike today, where people forget each other right after a project.”
Vidya Balan, who is a successful actress in Hindi films now, was a part of the Hum Paanch family as the nerdy Radhika. Shoma is proud of her screen daughter. “She is always respectful towards us, no matter how successful she became. We talk on birthdays and events,” she gushes.Shoma had herself been a regular fixture on the big screen for decades, with films like Coolie, Himmatwala and Ghar Ek Mandir, among others. But her last prominent project was the 2009 Govinda and Fardeen Khan-starrer Life Partner. Explaining that she took temporary retirement to get away from the hustle, the actress informs, “I spend summers in Kashmir and one time, I didn’t want to come back. There are no characters left in films anyway. It’s either a love story, an action film or special songs and I don’t fit in any of them.”
She was a part of Priyadarshan’s 2003 comedy Hungama and now, the director is returning with a sequel. But Shoma isn’t sure if she was approached. “Maybe they had an offer. I don’t answer most phone calls these days as it is tough to say no to people you worked with,” she reasons. But Hum Paanch sequel would be different. “We’ve been asking the makers for years to bring it back, as viewers won’t forget it even after 50 years.”
I am not ready to do television, yet-Vidya Balan
7:51 AM
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; November 16, 2017)
She started her acting career with the TV serial Hum Paanch, so one would have thought Vidya Balan would revisit the medium, especially when several A-list filmstars are either hosting or judging shows. “Two years ago, I almost came close to doing TV. It was an ambitious talk show and I was interested. For the want of a better comparison, I would say it was like Satyamev Jayate (Aamir Khan’s talk show). However, the makers wanted to incorporate some comedy gigs in the middle of the show! And that I felt was diluting the concept. It didn’t work out,” says Vidya.
Since then, Vidya has been getting offers to judge shows, but she is not interested. “When they call me to judge a dance show, I am shocked! I tell them that people will turn around and say, ‘Aap kuch karke dikhao’. As for fiction shows, I am not interested. I am not ready to do TV, yet,” she says.
However, Vidya, who has always experimented with her roles is open to exploring the digital platform and doing a web series. “A lot of exciting content is being made on the web and there is plenty of freedom. But I am a little scared because it requires me to devote four-five months at a stretch, shooting through the week with one-day break. I cannot give that kind of time to the project,” explains Vidya.
What about short films? Several filmmakers have got into the space and B-Town actors have also tried it. But Vidya is wary of it. She says, “I was on the jury of an awards show for short films. I saw 35 films, and I must say the ideas are great and compelling, but I found them lacking in execution. So, right now, I don’t think I will be venturing into that.”
I paid Amrish Puri Rs 10,000 more after Hum Paanch was declared a hit-Boney Kapoor
7:40 AM
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 11, 2015)
When Boney Kapoor decided to remake Bapu's 1978 Telugu film, Manavoori Pandavulu, (which itself has been inspired by Puttanna Kanagal's Kannada film Paduvarahalli Pandavaru), in Hindi with the same director, little did he know that it would turn out to be a superhit and help him repay all his previous debts. An allegory on the Mahabharat, Hum Paanch was the story of the five Pandavas and Duryodhan.
"For the role of Duryodhan we had a few options but Bapu eventually settled for Amrish Puri because of his deep baritone and the way he looked in the get-up designed for him. He surrendered himself to the director completely and was paid Rs 40,000 as remuneration. I paid him another Rs 10,000 after the film was declared a hit as I'd promised. Hum Paanch made Amrish Puri a star and he went on to play Mogambo in my Mr. India," says Boney.
Puri's introduction scene, in which he strangles a pigeon with his scarf, puts it on a plate and says, 'Nashta!' is memorable even after 35 years. Boney recalls how they had doped a kabutar for the scene so it would be immobile and didn't flutter around when Puri was 'killing' it. Bapu didn't want the bird to be hurt for real.
Hum Paanch was filmed in the quaint village of Melukote, the birthplace of Tamil Nandu Chief Minister Jayalalitha, which is located 51 kms from Mysore and 133 kms from Bengaluru. They had initially planned on shooting in Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh but Boney admits he wasn't too happy with the location. That's when a friend of Bapu's suggested Melukote, famous for the Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple. And once Boney climbed the hillock and saw the temple and the surrounding village he knew that this was it. "You can see the temple in almost every shot, except those canned inside Amrish Puri's house. Only one Hollywood film, Jungle Boy, with Sabu, had been filmed there, decades ago, but after Hum Paanch, Mani Ratnam, Priyadarshan, Rajkumar Santoshi and Prabhudheva all found it a perfect location for their films," Boney smiles with satisfaction.
Back then, Melukote was not an easy place to shoot in with a unit of 140. Since, the closest hotel was in Mysore, Boney built 14 cottages where his actors and technical heads lived while the other staff was put up in dorms in the village. He even built a community kitchen and flew down 18 cooks from Chennai, Mumbai and Bengaluru to whip up delectable meals.
"To keep everyone entertained I'd taken a 16 mm projector along and all the Hindi and English movies I could lay my hands on which I screened every evening. Deepti Naval was learning music, so I took her teacher along and a yoga instructor for Gulshan Grover. CS Dubey, a Hindi journalist who was part of the cast, brought out a newsletter every day about the various activities and any major news breaks, since, we were completely cut off from the world despite the fact that I had pulled a telephone line from Mandiya," says Boney.
Boney's younger brother Anil Kapoor was in charge of arranging the actors' transportation and accommodation since there weren't too many flights from Bengaluru to Mumbai at the time. He grew close to Bapu on the sets and went on to do a small cameo in Hum Paanch, before making his debut as an actor in Bapu's Telugu film, Vamsa Vruksham in 1980, followed by the lead in Mani Ratnam's directorial debut with the Kannada film, Pallavi Anu Pallavi, which released in 1983, the same year as his Hindi film, Woh 7 Din, directed by Bapu released. "And life came a full circle for him," smiles Boney.
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