Veteran actor Satish Shah, beloved for his roles in Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron (1983), Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi (1984), Sarabhai vs Sarabhai and Main Hoon Na (2004), passed away at his Mumbai residence on Saturday. He was 74. An FTII graduate, Shah began with small yet striking roles in Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan (1978), Gaman (1979) and Umrao Jaan (1981), before becoming a cult favourite as the corrupt D’Mello in Kundan Shah’s Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro . From Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1994) to Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), Shah’s warmth and comic timing defined an era of Hindi cinema. Tributes have been pouring in from actors and contemporaries who worked with him, celebrating a performer who made laughter timeless.

Anupam Kher paid tribute to the late actor with an emotional video on Instagram. “What is happening? In the past 3-4 days so many good people have left, that too the ones that have worked with me. Behind this empty smile of mine is a lot of sadness. Satish Shah... I used to say Satish mere Shah (Satish, my king),” he said in the video.

“He was a great friend of mine, it is just shocking. I am revisiting Switzerland where we shot Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and I saw the news that Satish Shah is no more. He was in Dilwale and Hum Aapke Hain Koun and in so many more. He used to laugh and make us laugh,” he added.

--------------------------------------------------------

The heavens will be a merrier and a happier place now. Satish ji will make the Gods laugh out loud as they admire their own creation. Thank you for being such a solid wind beneath my wings early on in my career… for constantly believing in me and egging me on – R Madhavan, Shah’s co-star, in 1997 TV show Jamai Raja

We’ve lost a great artiste & my dearest friend of over 40 years. It’s hard to believe – I had spoken to him just two days ago. Satish Bhai, you will truly be missed. Your immense contribution to film and television will never be forgotten – Johny Lever

“Loving, full of life and playful just like his popular onscreen character of Indravadan Sarabhai” – that’s how the team of Sarabhai vs Sarabhai remembers Satish Shah, who played the witty patriarch of the South Mumbai family in the show that premiered in 2004.

Sumeet Raghvan said, “It is such a rude shock. He was in and out of hospital, he had kidney issues. He was a fabulous human being and an actor. We all have seen his great body of work. I’ve known him for the last 20 years, he was the real-life Indravadan Sarabhai, a prankster. I would be his partner in crime. Whenever we would chat, he would tell me, ‘Don’t let the child in you die or grow, keep the child alive’. He made sure the child in him was always alive.”

Rajesh Kumar, who portrayed the fan-favourite Rosesh, Indravadan’s younger son, said, “This is the worst hour for me. I still cannot process that Satish ji is no more. All I can say is that I feel I have lost my father. He was a man full of life and humour. He made his name and left a mark as an actor. This is a big, big loss to the industry and us, Sarabhai family.” ​

Shah’s co-star from Nehle Pe Dehla, Rajesh Puri, who shared a long friendship with Shah and also worked with him in multiple projects, said, “We worked together even before I did Hum Log , collaborating on several TV shows and films. I wonder what happened to him. Earlier, we used to meet a lot when we worked together. It is very unbearable at the moment.”

The veteran actor fondly recalled working with Shah on the show Nehle Pe Dehla (1999–2000), remembering how the late actor would often tease him, and make everyone laugh. “I will really miss him. It was just last week that I was thinking about catching up with him,” he added.

------------------------------------

The last rites of late actor Satish Shah were conducted in Mumbai on Sunday, a day after he died of renal failure at 74. Earlier, his mortal remains were kept at his residence in Bandra for antim darshan.

Several industry A-listers, friends, and colleagues got together to bid a final farewell to Shah, including Kunal Kohli, Jackie Shroff, Johnny Lever, Aanjjan Srivastav, Poonam Dhillon, Ali Asgar, Tiku Talsania, and Suresh Oberoi.

The cast and crew of his iconic sitcom Sarabhai vs Sarabhai were also present, including Ratna Pathak Shah, Rajesh Kumar, Rupali Ganguly, Sumeet Raghvan, Deven Bhojani, and JD Majethia were also present. Clips of them singing the show’s theme song at the cremation also surfaced on social media.

Kareena Kapoor Khan shared a still of Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, writing, “Rest in glory Satish Shah.”

R Madhavan shared an old photo featuring himself, Satish and Mandira Bedi from their get-together. The three had worked together in the sitcom Ghar Jamai.

Amitabh Bachchan wrote, “Another day another work another quiet... Another one of us passes away... Satish Shah, a young talent, and has left us at a very young age. And these times of the grim... it bodes not well to express in normalcy... but the show must go on... and so it does, as does life.” They starred together in the 2008 film Bhootnath.

Anupam Kher shared an emotional video for Satish after the actor’s “shocking” death. Writing in the caption “Satish mere Shah”, he said in the video, “Kya ho raha hai yeh? Teen-chaar din mein itne acche acche log chale gaye. Kya ho raha hai yeh?”

Sumeet Raghvan wrote, “As the show continues to grow, so does our bond. Whenever we met, we didn’t talk as Sumeet, Rupali or Rajesh. Then, were Sahil, Monisha, Rosesh, Dad, and Mom. That’s how we talk with each other. Today, the head of the Sarabhai family, our most senior member, has left us. Kaafi dinon se woh joojh rahe thhe. Finally, life can be very cruel.”

Farah Khan wrote on Instagram, “Rest in peace dearest, Satish. You were a joy to know and work with. Will miss you sending me memes and jokes every day.”

Johnny Lever said, “Feeling extremely sad to share that we’ve lost a great artist and my dearest friend of over 40 years. It’s hard to believe — I had spoken to him just two days ago.”

Rajesh Kumar reflects, “All I can say is that it feels like I have lost my father.. A man full of life and humour. Challenging everything. His name left his mark as an actor. This is a big, big loss to the industry and the (Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai’s family). Let’s pray for his departed soul and keep him in your prayers.”

Rakesh Bedi remembers Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi co-star: “I’ve known him since 1974, when we joined FTII. We’ve been classmates, flatmates, and have been friends for all these years. I never saw him sulking. He would always talk about things with so much passion and joy, especially his work. Even when he was unwell, the doctor would come, and he’d crack jokes with him. This was the beauty of that man.”

On Saturday afternoon, Hindi cinema lost one of its most spirited and versatile artistes. But to those close to him, Satish Shah was beyond what the audience saw on screen. At 74, he was a whizz-kid, his Sarabhai vs Sarabhai family tells mid-day. Shah passed away due to kidney related issues, his manager Ramesh confirmed with mid-day. The first people in the industry to know about the actor’s demise were his collaborators on Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, the 2004 sitcom that continues to be relevant.

“We were really close. All of us have been in touch with each other for all these years,” shares actor and filmmaker Deven Bhojani as he fights back tears.

Bhojani played the eccentric Dushyant on the show that featured Shah as the family’s patriarch, Indravardhan Sarabhai. A cool husband, a cooler father and the coolest father-in-law, with his signature mischief intact.

Sumeet Raghavan, who played his older son Sahil, says he was all that in real life as well. “He was the real life Indravardhan Sarabhai — a prankster. He used to pull a fast one, and I was his partner-in-crime. He would often tell me, ‘Sumeya, don’t let the child inside you die’. And he made sure that the child in him was always alive,” says Raghavan.

If Indravardhan and Sahil was always a team, his younger son, the poet and mama’s pet Rosesh, was mostly the subject of his shenanigans. Rajesh Kumar, who played Rosesh, is distraught when we reach out to him. “This is the worst hour for me. I still cannot process that Satish ji is no more. It feels like I have lost my father, a man full of life and humour. He made his name and left his mark as an actor,” Kumar says.

Shah enjoyed a prolific career spanning over five decades across films and television. He began his journey in mid-1970s and soon emerged as one of the most reliable actors in any ensemble, infusing energy and presence in characters, length irrespective. The ease with which Shah became one with the world he inhabited on screen, also reflected in his conduct on set. Bhojani, who was one of the directors on Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, recalls Shah’s display of respect for a first-time filmmaker.

“It was my first show as a director and I was a little sceptical thinking whether Satish ji would cooperate with me [or not]. But on the very first day, he made me feel comfortable. Regardless of how young I was, he respected the chair. He would, like a kid, ask me, ‘Is this [take] fine?’”

The void for the Sarabhai unit is not only of the man, they love, but also of the family member, who always surprised them with his knowledge and curiosity. Aatish Kapadia, the writer and co-producer of the show, shares, “He was the eldest, but the youngest. We would say, he’s the child of the group. Have a conversation with him about anything under the sun, and he would give you a [new] insight. To me, he was a whizz-kid,” he says. 

At one point, Kapadia remembers Shah’s endearing reaction when he was offered Sarabhai vs Sarabhai. “He said, ‘Oh! Finally, I have to play myself.’ He would say he felt he was on a picnic every time he was shooting Sarabhai. The laughter would be so infectious. To me, he’s in the present. I can’t talk about him in the past tense,” he says.

Pankaj Tripathi has always maintained that his Bihari roots have played a critical role in shaping him as an artiste. It was among the two reasons he gave his nod to his next, a human drama set in Bihar. What’s the second reason? The prospect of reuniting with writer-director Amit Rai, with whom he delivered the 2023 hit, OMG 2. The two kicked off the shoot of their yet-untitled project, which explores the animal-human conflict, in Tripathi’s home state this week. Sources tell us that Pawan Malhotra, Geeta Agarwal of Laapataa Ladies (2024) fame, and Rajesh Kumar are part of the cast, alongside some talents from the Bhojpuri film industry.

The way Rai explored the theme of sex education and highlighted its need in schools through OMG 2 told Tripathi of the director’s talent. The actor then is only too happy to reunite with the writer-director. 

“OMG 2 was a special film for me, not only because it marked my first solo film that earned more than Rs. 180 crore at the box office, but also as it connected with people on an emotional level. Working with Amit again feels like a natural progression. His storytelling has depth, honesty, and a sense of purpose that I relate to,” shares Tripathi.

That the movie, which has shades of a thriller, is set in his home state is the cherry on top. He adds, “This story is rooted in the soil of Bihar—my home. My identity as an artiste is tied to where I come from. As an actor, there is nothing more fulfilling than being part of a story that is both entertaining and socially meaningful.”

Rai has charted out a 35-day start-to-finish schedule. The filmmaker doesn’t delve into details regarding the plot, only describing his third directorial venture as “a reflection of lives lived and lessons learned”. 

He adds, “Collaborating with Pankaj again is like returning to a creative space where truth and performance meet seamlessly. This film is a heartfelt exploration of human relationships, resilience, and the social fabric that binds us.”

During her trip to Ahmedabad a few months ago, Rupali Ganguly had told us, “When we did season 2 of Sarabhai vs Sarabhai in 2017, Monisha Sahil ko chhod ke chali gayi thi. So, I feel there has to be a closure, at least a special one-off episode like Friends.”

During his recent trip to Vadodara, we asked Rajesh Kumar (he played Rosesh in the iconic show), who was recently seen in the Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer OTT film Haddi and has done OTT shows like Kota Factory (season 2), about this and he told us, “Ek closure toh chahiye yaar! I feel it will be nice to have another independent season of Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, and there should be no comparisons with the first two seasons.”

Kumar, who was in town to attend the annual concert of a city-based school, added, “It was such a beautiful show and it continues to be popular with the current generation. I think it was way ahead of its time and the fantastic writing, satire and banter made it a winner.”

In 2017, Kumar went back to his village in Gaya and started pursuing farming. While he faced challenges (a flood washed out the trees he had planted and he used up his savings), the actor, whose social media account bio describes him as ‘actor by profession, farmer by choice’, says that it has been a “great learning experience.”

He shares, “I was hosting a few rallies (for a movement about saving India’s rivers) and I was inspired by Sadhguru’s thoughts on changing the face of agriculture. I really enjoy farming; it has taught me a lot and changed my outlook towards life. When you stop thinking just about yourself and think about others, others also think about you. I now appreciate the efforts of our farmers even more. There have been challenges, lekin aap life mein agar risk lete ho, and then bounce back after setbacks, fun toh ussi mein hain na? Now, I love both (farming and acting). I have some interesting films and web series that will be released next year. I have shoots lined up till July 2024 and so, I am eagerly looking forward to the new year.”

It was my first trip to Vadodara, and I loved visiting MSU’S Faculty of Performing Arts near Sursagar Lake. Coming to Gujarat is always fun and I have even watched Gujarati films like Chal Man Jeetva Jaiye.

Earlier, actors would easily get typecast based on their looks. There was a phase when I was regularly being offered the role of a police inspector. But with the OTT boom, only your performance matters and now, I enjoy doing films and web shows more (over TV). There are so many challenging roles to choose from, and you get more time to prepare too. However, television will always have its own audience, especially in smaller cities.

They met around two decades ago when they began shooting for the iconic sitcom Sarabhai vs Sarabhai. The show ended, but the friendship between the actors has only grown over the years. Recently, we caught up with Satish Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Rupali Ganguly and Rajesh Kumar during one of their impromptu meets and saw how much fun they have even today. “Our friendship was cooked on a slow burner, unlike today, when everything happens quickly and fast through social media and instant messaging,” they said.

As the four chatted over dinner at a suburban eatery, it was fun to hear them recount the good ol’ times. Ratna said, “I remember I had to share my make-up room with Rupali (who played Monisha) and the first thing I entered the room and saw was her bed with a pile of things. Being the tidy one, I wondered how I would share the room with her!”

Rupali responded, “She entered the room like a diva with two kapde ki thelis and my bed had a heap of things. I was petrified!” “Later, we got along really well and started trusting each other,” added Ratna.

Rupali spoke about how she was new to acting and both Rajesh and her used to get scared around the senior actors. She said, "I used to keep applying make-up and I remember Ratna ji saying that a lipstick will not help you act well and everyone used to bet on how many takes I would need to finish a scene (laughs)."

Rajesh added, "I remember a scene in which I had a one-page dialogue, I was fumbling and Satish ji finally walked out of the frame. Now, when I see that scene, I realize what a torture it was for him."

Rajesh, who still addresses Ratna as Momma, shared how they shot for the show in such a way that Satish Shah could leave at 6 pm. He said, “Satish ji was a senior actor and we would give him priority and shoot in such a way that he could go home at 6 pm. But soon, he started waiting for us.”

Rupali particularly recalls the flood situation in July 2005. “During those floods, I had to stay overnight at Satish ji’s home. I remember how he pulled out a T-shirt and short pants for me to wear at night and thankfully, his fridge was well-stocked with food,” said Rupali, who is currently seen playing the lead in Anupamaa.

Apart from these four, the Sarabhai gang also includes Sumeet Raghvan, producers Aatish Kapadia and J D Majethia and actor-director Deven Bhojani. Actress Vaibhavi Upadhyay, who passed away recently, was also a part of the show and the actors remembered her.

Talking about how their friendship has remained intact, Rajesh said, “We have remained together like a happy family even after the show ended. Even if we don’t talk with each other for 2-3 months, the bond is still the same. It is that kind of friendship where if one of us gets emotional, someone like Satish Shah cracks a joke and makes the situation light.”

Satish shared how their tiffin boxes would be a point of conversation on the set. He said, “Ratna would get these tiny boxes of food and as a vegetarian, she always insisted on everyone eating vegetarian food.” Ratna responded, “Rubbish! I never did that.” Satish continued, “My tiffin was shared by all because my wife used to cook plenty of food.”

While Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai wrapped up on TV in 2006, the second season aired on OTT in 2017. So, is there a third season in the offing? “We would love to have a third season, but that is best left to destiny. We are all in different spaces in life, but our bond continues to be as strong as it was then. The bond we share is real,” they say.

With his endearing roles in Baa Bahu Aur Baby and Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, Rajesh Kumar wormed his way into the audience’s hearts. Off screen, he is equally endearing, as he takes the time to ask this writer about her day before getting into interview mode. The actor is back with the second instalment of TVF’s Yeh Meri Family. Kumar, who plays a reserved father in the Amazon miniTV series set in the ’90s, talks about the different parenting styles of the generations, and his learnings from the show.

Edited excerpts from the interview.

I have seen my father have an awkward relationship with my sisters, where he is more protective about them, and trying to get them married at an early age. I think ’90s fathers were like that because they just wanted to get over with [the responsibility]. There was never too much of a conversation between daughters and fathers, at least in my family. They all were there for each other’s happiness, but the girls were closer to their mother. So, this awkward relationship where they barely talk as shown in Yeh Meri Family came easy and naturally to me.

It reminded me of everything — from the values, to the fact that we never got bored or sat idle. Either we were reading comic books, or playing games. Nowadays, kids [are enrolled in] drawing, guitar, swimming classes, one after the other. Back in the day, we didn’t go for so many classes. If a kid was sent to [drawing classes], no one cared whether s/he could draw. [The parents’ motivation was not that] the kids will be in front of the TV or phone, instead let’s enrol them in classes. I never saw parents under pressure [to take care of the child].

We never took up parenting as a challenge. This generation is taking it [too seriously]. They are trying to do everything [through the kids] that they couldn’t. They are forcing too much on their kids, who are becoming more dependent. [All parents need to do] is maintain a balance, but do not keep holding their hand. The kids should be made aware that they can fly. Today’s style of parenting is scary. Sometimes, it’s difficult to understand if they are talking about their kids or pets.

I often tell people that my father has taught me a lot about what not to do. He did so many things that made me think, ‘Oh my god, I won’t do this to my kids’ [laughs]. In this show, the communication angle has been brought to the fore. It’s good to watch over what is happening in the house rather than interfere in everything. If Neerja [Juhi Parmar’s character] handles the kids’ studies, as a father, I should not interfere. But at the same time, [I should ensure] that she doesn’t slap the child in anger. This is what I have learnt [from the show].

It all depends on your conditioning. If you are too imposing as a parent, want your child to be a certain way, and want him to achieve what you have not in life, then it is a hardship. But as humans, we don’t need [to rely on] screaming or beating to discipline children.

While the second season of the cult show Sarabhai vs Sarabhai didn’t garner as much love as the first instalment, one character managed to stand out: Jasmine, played by Vaibhavi Upadhyaya, Khot nath kehti. On Tuesday, Upadhyay died in a road accident in Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district while travelling with her fiance.

Mourning her untimely death, Rajesh Kumar, who played Rosesh in the popular show, said, “She was a mountain girl, although she is from Mumbai. I realised we had common friends after I met her on set. She had some of the toughest tongue-twisters in her dialogues, but Vabhavi would know them by heart after one glance and perform with absolute confidence. She had a photographic memory. Off camera, she loved listening to PJs; humour was her strong point.”

Sharing that she had a “girl crush” on Upadhyay, co-star Aishwarya Sakhuja shares that she knew of the actor through her actor-husband Rohit Nag. “I found her super attractive. I would always tell Rohit that she was my girl crush. The little interaction I had with her intimidated me, especially after I saw her craft. Vaibhavi was intelligent and well-informed; you could speak with her about anything under the sun and she would have an input. I [will always] remember her as this beautiful, vibrant person.”

Director-actor Deven Bhojani who had the pleasure of directing Upadhyay said, “Not a lot of people could do justice to the character of Jasmine the way she did”. “After a lot of auditions, we unanimously found our Jasmine in Vaibhavi. Any new actor joining the set would find it difficult, but Vaibhavi was friendly from the get-go. She was a brilliant actor who made my job as a director easy. She was confident, polite, humble, and ready to learn. She understood my need for reactions and gave me exactly what I was looking for [in a scene]. Maya Sarabhai [played by Ratna Pathak Shah] says this dialogue: ‘Yeh sochti Gujarati mein hai, translate Hindi mein karti hai, and bolti English mein hai.” And that is exactly what Vaibhavi was doing. She justified the character so well that Jasmine became one of the major highlights of season two,” said Bhojani, who played Dushyant in the sitcom.

“I cannot use the past tense for her,” says writer-director-actor Aatish Kapadia, who had initially noticed Upadhyay in another audition. “I was mesmerized by her performance. The élan and confidence with which she performed stayed in my mind, but the show never got made. When we were [casting actors] for the character of Jasmine, she was my first choice. We had some great scenes together. She was confident enough to stand up to goliath actors including Satish Shah, Rupali Ganguly, Ratna Pathak Shah, Sumeet Raghavan, and Rajesh Kumar. There cannot be another Jasmine.”

Vaibhavi Upadhyaya, 38, died in a car accident on Tuesday. The actress, who was gearing up for her debut in Gujarati films, has been part of many shows, including CID and Adaalat, and is best known for her role in Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, where she played Jasmine.

She met with an accident while she was travelling in Himachal Pradesh. She was with her fiancé Jay Gandhi, a businessman, when the accident took place. He survived with a few injuries. The two got engaged on February 14 this year and were planning to tie the knot soon. Her last rites were conducted in Mumbai yesterday.

Rajesh Kumar, who played Rosesh in Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, shared, “I am unable to come to terms with this. After Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, we kept in touch. The last time we connected was two months ago over messages. She was a happy-go-lucky person, who would always be smiling. Vaibhavi loved being in the mountains and whenever I spoke to her, she would be heading on a trip to the mountains. She also had a photographic memory and could remember all the lines on the page by just looking at it. She was a very talented and beautiful soul.”

Film producer and friend of actor Sushant Singh Rajput — Sandip Ssingh, who was under the scanner after he was seen taking an active lead in events following the actor's death — slapped a legal notice on Republic TV and its editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami claiming Rs 200 crore as compensation for “maligning his image in public” and for terming Ssingh a “key conspirator” and “murderer”. The legal notice demands that the channel “drop all malicious footage and articles telecast against Ssingh” and “tender an unconditional public apology in writing/video”.

Speaking to TOI on Thursday, Singh said, “Money alone can’t compensate for the image and respect that I have lost in these past four months. I’ve struggled for 20 years to build my reputation as a film producer and because of the slander campaign that the channel ran against me everyday, financiers for my future projects are backing out, and exhibitors and distributors of our new film, ‘PM Narendra Modi’, are apprehensive about giving it too many shows when they see my name attached.” Ssingh’s production company Legend Global Studio set up in 2015 has made films like ‘Bhoomi’ and ‘Sarbjit’, apart from the biopic on the PM. “Thank god for the CBI enquiry. I was waiting to get my confidence back and take the right step.”

The notice was sent through advocate Rajesh Kumar on Wednesday highlighting news items carried by the channel “with a criminal intent to extort money.” “I’ve been accused of being a drug peddler, being connected to Dawood. They ran a hashtag asking for my arrest for 50 days at a stretch while their correspondents kept stalking my car or tried entering my house. Why? I was not in hiding!” said Ssingh who claims to have known Rajput for ten years. “I met him when he was transitioning from TV to films. Being Biharis we got along very well.”

Pointing at how media speculation had led to him being “singled out” for taking charge of Sushant’s funeral, Ssingh says: “When I reached Sushant’s house on June 14, I didn’t know there was going to be no one except his sister Mitu who I met for the first time that day. There were lots of procedures and no one from the family to get it done so I had to. Was I expected to practice my body language to perform for the media?”

Ssingh says that his legal notice was an attempt to rebuild his reputation and save himself from the trauma that the channel has caused him and his mother and sister. “Will he (Goswami) go on air and apologise to me for 50 days? If he can’t, let’s fight the legal battle.”

As we enter the Mira Road studio where the iconic show is being filmed, we notice that the matriarch of TV's most loved family is at the end of her tether. An incident has pushed her to consider leaving home. But as she barges out, bag and baggage in tow, she stumbles upon the clutter her bahu has left on the floor. “Monisha, tum iss ghar ko jaise rakhti ho, iss ghar ko tumhe chodke chale jaana chahiye,“ she notes sarcastically. The director interrupts, “Can you turn once after you complete the line?“ As she obliges and berates her daughter-in-law with renewed enthusiasm, you're reminded that this isn't the usual saas bahu fare. Sarabhai VS Sarabhai, Indian television's classiest comedy, is back after a hiatus of 12 years and Mumbai Mirror dropped in on the sets to catch them as they prepare for a new season which premieres on May 16.

The show's producer, J D Majethia ushers us to 'Maya's bedroom' - a tastefully furnished space. “We scoped through 20 shooting floors and changed three set designers to ensure we got the look right,“ says Majethia. Since Omung Kumar, who designed the previous set, was busy directing Sanjay Dutt's comeback, they had to contend with Varsha Jain, credited for designing the set for the musical Beauty and the Beast. The decision to return, Majethia tells us, germinated on June 29, 2016, when the team met at actor Satish Shah's house for a party. Discussing their popular sitcom was routine. But on this occasion, when Majethia suggested a comeback, the team agreed. A group photo was tweeted with the announcement that the “Sarabhai family is planning something“ and it broke the internet. “It was amongst the 50 best shows on IMDB, surpassing even Friends once,“ prides Majethia.

At this point, the show's writer, co-director and co-producer Aatish Kapadia joins us. That the show features a sharp-witted father (Indravadhan), a society doyenne of a mother (Maya), a son who strives to please everyone (Sahil), his dysfunctional brother (Roshesh) and a “middle class“ daughter-in-law (Monisha) is all Kapadia's doing. “Actually, they are all based on my extended family,“ he says with a smile. “When I was asked to come up with an urban comedy, I wanted to lampoon this cultural milieu that I was familiar with as I have relatives living in South Bombay,“ shares Kapadia, who also wanted to break stereotypes. “People have this notion that women in South Bombay can't be good homemakers but those with a modest upbringing would surely be nipurnn (multi-talented). I've had SoBo cousins who come to Goregaon and ask if this is Madh Island,“ laughs Kapadia, who remembers his show as the lowest rated one on the network. “Laughter Challenge used to get a TRP of 7 then, while we were at 1,“ he remembers. Two years after the show went off air and the channel began airing reruns is when it became popular.“The Kyunkis, the Kusums and the Kahanis were ruling the roost then, so the initial reaction we received was 'saas bahu comedy kar rahe hain'. We didn't know the outcome of the show and eventually, were asked to shut shop,“ remembers Sumeet Raghvan, who plays the dutiful son Sahil, even while he identifies more with Indravadhan's character in real life.

While their last season was dominated by the classist exchange between Maya and her bahu Monisha, played by Ratna Pathak Shah and Rupali Ganguly respectively, Kapadia scripts a new spin in the upcoming season. “The bone of contention cannot be Sahil anymore, as he has now become a father. So the new conflict is about the upbringing of the child,“ he explains, elaborating how Maya feels that Monisha is ill-equipped to take on the responsibility. Pathak Shah still identifies with her sardonic Maya Sarabhai. “I don't say everything I think of but the world gives you enough opportunities to be sharp and sarcastic as you are constantly confronted with stupidity,“ she says, hopeful that the digital medium (in which her show will be launched) won't be a letdown like television today. “When TV began with shows such as Idhar Udhar and Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi, I believed that TV would be a game changer and will explore ideas films didn't have the space for. But we've only resolutely marched backwards,“ adds Pathak Shah. This creative recession in TV wasn't lost on Kapadia who loves taking a dig at saas-bahu sagas. “In the first season, Monisha was addicted to a soap called Uska Pati Sirf Mera Hain, in this season we have Roshesh acting in a soap called Bahu machchar, Beta khachchar,“ laughs Kapadia.

But an actor who bagged Sarabhai for being well-entrenched in daily soaps was Rupali Ganguly. “I was cast in negative roles earlier; Aatish cast me after seeing me in a scene in Sanjivani where two characters are talking and I'm standing in the middle with an aarti in my hands. It was a 3.5-minute-long scene where I had no dialogues and I was only making faces, which, Aatish felt, lent itself to comedy,“ remembers the actress, who, like her TV avatar, is a bargain hunter. Another lead who identifies with his TV avatar is Satish Shah, whose wife complains that he's become more like Indravadhan Sarabhai at home. “I took myself to believe that I'm not unlike Hägar the Horrible - a mixture of mischief and innocence. Indravadhan was intended to be more vicious. But then, Aatish and I had a long discussion about 'why can't this guy be a lovable rascal' and he loved the idea,“ says the actor who feels that Kapadia's writing leaves no scope to improvise. “In my earlier roles, I'd meddle with the choreography of the scene and improve the dialogues if required - since I'm seen on screen, if the show doesn't work - they will say Satish Shah's show didn't work. But I didn't have to do that here. Now, I just act which is called economy of labour,“ says the actor who turns 66 next month and has taken “voluntary retirement from acting“ as his “bucket list is over“.

At this point, the scene being shot features the show's quirky attraction - Roshesh, played by Rajesh Kumar. The character who rose to fame for his distinct drawl, is narrating a poem. “Subuk subuk pen ghiske handwritten parchi mat banana, tum tum fim fim type karo, printout ka hain zamana,“ he says in his quintessential “momma's boy“ style. “Initially, I was allowed to read out the poems, now I have to memorise them,“ says the 41-year-old actor who discovered the voice for this character accidentally. “I was sitting on a commode and was shitting both ways as I had two days to get the voice right. That is when my voice echoed in the toilet and I cracked it. For two days, I spoke to everyone in that voice,“ shares Kumar, who powered through several retakes to get a nod from co-director Deven Bhojani, who also plays the son-in-law Dushyant on the show. “Initially, as a director, I was a bit scared as Satishji and Ratnaji are very senior actors. But when I am on the director's chair, I won't give up without extracting the best from an actor. We are also keen on sticking to the lines because Aatish writes in a rhythm and even if actors alter it minutely, the meaning changes,“ explains Bhojani, before Kapadia steps in to offer an example, “If the line is 'Kya Fark Padta Hai' and they say 'Fark Kya Padta Hai', it's not the same. The first is rhetoric and disdain while the second is a question.“

As the clock strikes seven, the team is at the end of their 12-hour shift. While they settle down for a script reading session for the next day's shoot, a last round of chai is called for. Before we leave, we see Kapadia mimicking Maya and Monisha, leaving the cast in splits, as they imagine how the scene will materialise on screen.