Showing posts with label Satish Shah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Satish Shah. Show all posts
We wish Satish Shah had been here to receive Padma Shri honour himself-Deven Bhojani
9:09 AM
Hasti Doshi (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 26, 2026)
Actor-director Deven Bhojani has paid a heartfelt tribute to late actor Satish Shah following his posthumous Padma Shri, saying the honour was long overdue but would have been even more meaningful had Shah been alive to receive it.
“Everybody knows Satish Shah was a great actor, but he was also a wonderful human being. He was a gem of a person and incredibly knowledgeable. You could bring up any subject — sports, politics, history, mythology or cinema — and he would always have something insightful and interesting to share,” Bhojani says.
Recalling their time together on Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, which he also directed, he says Shah’s off-screen personality was remarkably similar to his much-loved character, Indravadan Sarabhai. “He was just as mischievous in real life. He loved pulling everyone’s leg,” he says with a smile.
Sharing a fond memory from the sitcom’s shoot, Bhojani recalls that before signing on, Shah had requested to be packed up by 6 pm instead of working the long television shifts that often stretched from 9 am to 9 pm.
“We honoured that and made sure all his scenes were completed before six. But after a few days, once he had bonded with the cast, he would stay back till 9 pm anyway. I would jokingly tell him, ‘Satish ji, your pack-up happened at six. Please go home now because I need to continue shooting.’ He would just laugh and say, ‘You do your job.’”
Speaking about the Padma Shri, Bhojani says the recognition has been welcomed with overwhelming emotion by fans and colleagues alike. “After I shared the ceremony video on social media, so many people wrote that he should have received this honour years ago. We all wish he had been alive to experience this moment himself. It would have given him immense happiness, and all of us too,” he says.
J D Majethia on Satish Shah’s posthumous Padma honour: "He would have joked about it"
3:17 PM
Yashika Mathur (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 29, 2026)
Actor and filmmaker JD Majethia (right), who produced the popular sitcom Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, reacted on late actor Satish Shah being posthumously honoured with the Padma Shri award recently.
Though Majethia expressed his happiness, he also feels that the joy of receiving the award, Satish ji himself would have been very different for Shah.
Majethia added that the entire team of Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai were discussing about Shah’s recognition.
“Satish ji was the kind of person who would take everything in a positive way. If he were with us, he would have probably made a video about this, joking about it coming to him too late,” he says.
Talking about the debate of the acknowledgement of actors while they are alive, Majethia says, “It is true that when an artiste gets an honour, and they receive it themselves, the award becomes very special for them. But for an artiste, there is also the love of fans which is not just about giving a hit show.”
He adds, “It is the love even the fans experience when their favourite artist wins an award. So, in such a case, when actors like Satish ji or Dharmendra sahab win an award, the love of the fans gets rewarded too.”
Satish Shah, who played the popular character Indravadhan Sarabhai, died in October 2025.
Maharashtra Rifle Association pays heartfelt tribute to Satish Shah
10:10 AM
Mumbai shooting top brass remember actor and his penchant for the sport; shadow falls long over Worli shooting range
Hemal Ashar (MID-DAY; October 29, 2025)
The guns fell silent at the rifle shooting range at Worli Sea Face on Sunday, October 26, as shooters struggled to come to terms with actor Satish Shah’s death on October 25.
Sheila Kanungo, secretary-general, Maharashtra Rifle Association (MRA), said, echoing the MRA top brass sentiment in Mumbai, “His shadow falls long over this shooting range. Years earlier, he was a regular here and quite adept at ‘big bore’ shooting. He did well at the sport, but I guess he could not give it time because of acting commitments. He may not have been at the range too often of late, but he was a larger-than-life presence here. The comedian-actor found his target, whether on the range or on a film set.”
Ashok Pandit, MRA president, said, “Shah was a true lover of guns. Take him to look at a gun collection, and his eyes would start twinkling like a kid in a candy shop.” Pandit remembered, “His shooting aside, it was his laugh that boomed loudest at the shooting range. He was great at mimicry. As a fine actor, he could copy how the champions would shoot, too. Then, he made his mark big-time (pun intended) in the acting world too,” said Pandit.
Chandrakant Pujari, the MRA vice-president, rewound to academia. Pujari said, “Satish Shah was my classmate at St Xavier’s College in Mumbai. He always had the gift of making people laugh. He eventually left college to study acting. Initially, he did not get a break. Then, I think he got a role in television, and of course, after that, his acting career zoomed.”
Pujari recalled, “I think the last I saw Shah at the shooting range was a year ago. His association with shooting goes back to 1978, though. We had one Capt Ezekiel — coach and in-charge of the Worli range. Capt coached Satish Shah and was very friendly with him too. Shah proved that actors can do both, give a box office hit and hit the bull's eye too.”
Satish Shah's energy was unmatched-Sudhir Mishra
8:26 AM
The filmmaker recalls working with the late actor in Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, saying his rhythm and timing were ‘effortless’
Natasha Coutinho (HINDUSTAN TIMES; October 27, 2025)
Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra, co-writer of the story and screenplay of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983), fondly recalls working with actor Satish Shah on the film, who died on Saturday at the age of 74.
Sudhir shares, “Kundan (Shah, director) had brought in a lot of new people like Nasser (actor Naseeruddin Shah), Om (Puri) and Satish... out of all, Satish and actor Ravi Baswani were the most comfortable with the idea that it wasn’t a realistic art film. The film was funny and they were completely in tune with the kind of nonsense that Kundan used to talk about.”
Talking about the famous coffin scene, the 66-year-old says, “Renu (Saluja, editor) suggested an intercut. After all, what sense did it make to linger on a dead body? But that’s when Satish began changing his expressions, and it became a pattern. It was the same during the Mahabharata scene.”
Sudhir adds, “The idea of comedy as a farce, yet milking the scene to its fullest, came naturally to Satish. The rhythm and timing were effortless, perfectly in sync with Kundan’s style. Shooting with him was great fun. We once shot for 72 hours at a stretch, but the energy was unmatched.”
Sharing some of his favourite memories from the film and their later collaborations, he says, “I still remember some of those famous lines like ‘Thoda khao thoda phenko.’ I went on to work with him in Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho! (1984) and he was just amazing each time.”
Colleagues, actors fondly remember Satish Shah
8:24 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (October 27, 2025)
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.
He used to laugh and make us laugh: Anupam Kher, who worked with Satish Shah in DDLJ, Hum Aapke Hain Koun & Judwaa
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.
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‘We’ve lost a great artiste’
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
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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
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‘He made sure the child in him was always alive’
“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.
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HINDUSTAN TIMES (October 27, 2025)
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.”
Sarabhai vs Sarabhai team gets emotional as they recall working with Satish Shah
8:18 AM
Komal RJ Panchal, Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; October 26, 2025)
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.
Satish Shah no more; friends, colleagues in shock
8:16 AM
Avijit Ghosh (THE TIMES OF INDIA; October 26, 2025)
In 1984, India could not have enough of the riotous TV comedy ‘Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi’. The most-talked about element of that rib-tickling show on DD, then the country’s only TV channel, was Satish Shah’s impeccable comic timing and astonishing range — over 40 different characters, ranging from an unwanted guest to a thief, each funnier than the last.
Those roles propelled Shah, who passed away on Saturday following kidney failure at a private hospital in Mumbai at age 74, to the cover of the reputable Hindi film magazine Madhuri, a space then reserved for major film stars. The June 7, 1985, issue, which also featured fellow ‘Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi’ actor Swaroop Sampat, carried the headline, ‘Aap ke chahete sitare’ (Your favourite stars). The characters were not specifically written for him, Shah recalled in a TV interview two years ago. He said they were people he might have seen in school, college and other places and subconsciously absorbed. “I give full credit to Mumbai city, a melting pot, which gave me the opportunity to see them,” he said.
Fellow actor, friend and FTII (Film and Television Institute of India), Pune, batchmate Rakesh Bedi said, “With his talent, he converted an outsider into the most interesting and eagerly-awaited performer of ‘Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi’.”
Shah brought laughter, grace and depth to Indian cinema and television with iconic performances, said FTII.
Shah’s journey began at FTII, captured in student films like ‘Bonga’, ‘Corpses’, ‘End Of The Game’, ‘Khukari’, ‘Lokayat’, ‘Masks’, ‘Shikast’, ‘Duniya Chalti Hai’, ‘Out of Focus’, ‘Sab Maya Hai’, ‘Sadama’ and ‘Tenth Floor’.
The actor, who featured in nearly 200 films and TV serials, marked his presence even in cameos. Few would have played the corpse of corrupt municipal commissioner D’Mello better than him in Kundan Shah’s political sidesplitter ‘Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro’ (1983).
“I changed my expressions as per scenes,” he once said. And who can forget his spit-showering ‘How dare you’ face-off with Shah Rukh Khan in ‘Main Hoon Na’ (2004). He featured in a clutch of Shah Rukh films, including ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’ (1995), ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ (2003) and ‘Om Shanti Om’ (2007).
His talent for mimicry shone in Ramsay Brothers movies such as ‘Purani Haveli’ (1989), where his parodies of old hit Hindi film songs drew guffaws. He also played two minor negative characters in ‘Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai’ (1980) and ‘Umrao Jaan’ (1981). But TV gave him roles of length and heft. In ‘Sarabhai vs Sarabhai’ (2004), Shah made the part of Indravadan Sarabhai, the irreverent patriarch of a well-heeled Gujarati family in swank south Mumbai, his own.
Shah faced a curious problem when starting out. At a time when actors were neatly slotted as hero, villain and comedian, he could not find himself fitting into any. “I was too tall and well-built for comedies, too soft a face to become a villain and not conventionally good-looking for a hero,” he once said on TV. But the versatile actor, who grew up in south Mumbai playing cricket with neighbourhood kids such as Sunil Gavaskar and Sudhir Naik, did well nonetheless.
Bedi recalled that Shah was as funny off screen as on it. And that his sense of humour never left him. “Some of us went to see him when he had open-heart surgery a few months ago. We were with him for two hours. He laughed and joked, making sure that he was the centre of attention,” he said.
CM Devendra Fadnavis paid tributes to Shah, describing him as a versatile artist who left an indelible mark on Indian cinema and theatre. The CM said Shah, who passed away at 74, will be remembered for the effortless charm and authenticity he brought to every role he portrayed. “Through his natural and graceful performances, he carved a permanent place in the hearts of audiences,” Fadnavis said.
He said Shah, who had also acted in films by the late Dada Kondke, contributed to enriching Marathi cinema. “His demise has caused a great loss to the world of art. A guiding link that connected generations of artists has been severed,” the CM said.
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HINDUSTAN TIMES (October 26, 2025)
Veteran actor Satish Shah died on Saturday afternoon at Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai, following kidney failure. He was 74. The actor was known for his impeccable comic timing and iconic performances across films and television. He is survived by his wife Madhu Shah.
Trade expert Ashoke Pandit, one of the first to confirm the news on social media, wrote: “Sad and shocked to inform you that our dear friend and a great actor, Satish Shah, expired a few hours ago due to kidney failure. He was rushed to Hinduja Hospital, where he breathed his last. A great loss to our industry. Om Shanti.”
Actor-producer J D Majethia, who worked very closely with Satish in the hit sitcom Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, expressed deep grief over the actor’s passing when we reached out to him: “For me, it wasn’t just work; he was family, an elder brother to me. I just spoke with him the day before yesterday, and he was hale and hearty. He was the life of every gathering. Suddenly, I feel a vacuum around me.”
Satish began his career in the late 1970s and went on to become one of India’s most recognizable faces on screen. On TV, he is remembered for his standout performances in Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi, Filmy Chakkar and Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, where his humour and timing made him a household name. In films, Satish delivered memorable roles in Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983), Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994), Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), Main Hoon Na (2004) and Om Shanti Om (2007).
Inputs by Akash Bhatnagar
Satish Shah and I knew each other for 50 years; he was full of life-David Dhawan
8:16 AM
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; October 26, 2025)
Filmmaker David Dhawan turned emotional as he remembered his friend of five decades, Satish Shah, who died on Saturday.
“You don’t even know how close we were,” Dhawan tells us. “We passed out from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) together. Forget the number of films we did, we knew each other for 50 years! I did editing, he did acting. This news is a shock,” he adds.
Calling Satish “full of life”, the director adds, “I have such great memories with him. He used to get his dialysis done at Lilavati Hospital. If I was shooting at Mehboob Studios, I’d call and ask, ‘Aayega?’ and he would come! He was perfectly fine; problems started only after the kidney transplant. He was in Kolkata too for some time.”
The two worked together in comedy hits such as Hero No.1 (1997) and Saajan Chale Sasuraal (1996). “As an actor, Satish was superb,” says David. “Usko yaad karke hanste the hum sab FTII wale. His friend circle was very big. We spoke often on the phone, he would send me random messages or cartoons, and I’d reply, ‘Kya kar raha hai, Satish!’ He had stopped working some time back and told me, ‘Bahot kaam kar liya, ab aaram karna hai.’ I said, ‘Meri film main shuru karunga, terko lena hai usme,’ and he replied, ‘Haan, teri wali kar lunga’,” David shares.
Pausing for a moment, the director adds softly, “Bahot rhythm thi Satish mein. He could dance, sing, act, kamaal ka tha. What can I say… Satish.”
Like FRIENDS, Sarabhai vs Sarabhai should have a special one off episode-Rupali Ganguly
8:15 AM
Soumitra Das (BOMBAY TIMES; August 27, 2023)
Rupali Ganguly, who is currently riding high on the success of her ongoing TV show Anupamaa, was in Gujarat recently for a quick trip.
She tells us, “I visited Mehsana for an event and it felt special because during the first episode of our show, we had Anupamaa (her character) going to the Modhera Sun Temple. I also wanted to visit Ambaji Temple for a long time and I am glad that I could do that on this visit.”
She adds, “I love coming to Gujarat and I have grown up with Gujarati neighbours. I have an insane obsession with Gujarati food, and I love dal dhokli, Gujarati dal, undhiyu, lapsi and churma ladoo. In fact, there are days when I crave Gujarati food in Mumbai and travel to Borivali to have Gujarati thali. I have also picked up the language quite well and playing a Gujarati character in Anupamaa has been a wonderful experience.”
‘I took a seven-year sabbatical because I wanted to be a hands-on mother’
Rupali, who took a seven-year break from showbiz before making a comeback with her current show, says that it was “much needed”. She shares, “I wanted to be a hands-on mother to Rudransh (her son) and it was a very conscious decision to give priority to enjoying my son’s childhood. When Anupamaa was offered, I accepted it because the role was fantastic. It was the first show to have a female protagonist in her 40s and I am delighted that it resonated with the audience. A mother’s emotion is universal, and the makers deserve credit for creating an iconic show. The fact that there have been people who have copied it is a compliment.”
‘I have my guilt trips for not spending enough time with my son’
Rupali, who says that her husband Ashwin K Verma “took a back seat” so that she could pursue her dreams, says that she often has “guilt trips for not spending enough time with my son.” She shares, “Including travel, I have 14-hour days every day and like any mother who steps out of the house for work, I sometimes feel guilty. But my only solace is that Rudransh has one parent to look after him and I feel proud when I say that my son is more attached to his father. We speak over video calls throughout the day and my production house has been very supportive.”
She adds, “We have set roles for everybody-the man has to be the breadwinner, while the woman is supposed to be the homemaker and take care of the kids. In our case, there has been a role reversal. My husband wanted me to achieve my dream and get my due as an actor. I am proud and blessed to have a supportive husband like him. He is my agony aunt, cushion, and my biggest critic. He pans me completely if I perform badly. When I had apprehensions about doing Sarabhai vs Sarabhai because I felt that I would make a fool of myself, he said I must try to do something different.”
On her husband’s role in her professional journey
I met my husband in 2000, the year when I made my TV debut. We were just friends then and while everybody looked down upon TV, he said that the medium has a great future. After I played a negative role in Sanjivani, he said I should wait for something different. When I was offered Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, I was scared about sharing screen space with Ratna Pathak Shah and Satish Shah. But he convinced me to take it up.
On why she feels Sarabhai vs Sarabhai should have a special one-off episode
The Sarabhai vs Sarabhai cast is like family. We have a Sarabhai group, and everybody knows what’s going on in each other’s life. Like all viewers, I would also love to have another season. When we did season 2 in 2017 (Sarabhai vs Sarabhai: Take 2), Monisha (her character) Sahil (played by Sumeet Raghavan) ko chhod ke chali gayi thi. So, I feel there has to be a closure. Just like FRIENDS, we can have a special one-off episode; itna toh banta hai!
After 20 years, our bond has only become stronger, says Team Sarabhai
8:06 AM
In a chat, popular television show Sarabhai vs Sarabhai actors – Satish Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Rupali Ganguly and Rajesh Kumar – talk about the fun times and what keeps their friendship intact even after two decades
Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; August 23, 2023)
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.
Rupali and Ratna’s make-up room shenanigans
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.”
‘We have remained together like a happy family’
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.”
Everyone shared my tiffin on set: Satish Shah
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.
Ukraine was becoming a popular location with Indian filmmakers
8:30 AM
Location managers and production assistants say that shooting in Ukraine used to be 20-30% cheaper than other Eastern European countries
BOMBAY TIMES (February 28, 2022)
In recent years, a number of Indian films and series including RRR, 99 Songs, Dev, Winner and Special Ops 1.5 were filmed in various locations in Ukraine. Location managers and production assistants say that in the last few years Ukraine was becoming a popular film shooting destination for Indian projects because it offers picturesque locations at lower costs, and shooting there used to be 20-30% cheaper than other Eastern European countries.
Natarajan Ramji, a location manager, who arranges shoots abroad for Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films, says, “For Indian filmmakers, Ukraine was the most suitable location in Europe from a financial perspective and also in terms of filmmaking, with good local crew and actors.”
Natarajan Ramji says, “The locations there can be matched with the settings of other places, like Paris, London, the US and even some Indian locales. The people, too, were friendly. While January to April is peak winter there, we had a few shoots planned there from May.”
He was also part of the shoot of an untitled Tamil film starring Saravanan Arul and Urvashi Rautela, which was shot in Ukraine in December. He was in Kiev in the first week of February this year as well to organise permissions for the shoot of an upcoming film. “Obviously, it is not going to be considered as a probable location for some time now,” Ramji adds.
Satish Sharma, director of Indo-Soviet Films that coordinates for shoots in Ukraine, says, “Almost a decade back I coordinated the shoot of a series Raja Vaska in Ukraine, India and Russia. Since then we have been doing a lot of projects in Ukraine. In fact, my next project Marshall, directed by Ganesh Acharya, was to be filmed in Ukraine in May. We had planned the shoot in summer and winter, but now it doesn’t seem possible. My last project in Ukraine was Neeraj Pandey’s Special Ops. We were also planning to shoot Shivaay in Ukraine, but at that time also there was news of some disturbances so we changed the location to Bulgaria. A number of songs from south films have been shot in Kiev, Lviv and the Carpathian mountains”
Satish adds that Ukraine was becoming a popular location among Indian filmmakers when Coronavirus hit. “My partner in Ukraine was planning to organise an event in India in January to promote Ukraine’s film shooting locations, but due to Omicron he couldn’t come. My friends from Ukraine have been showing me the situation on video calls and sending videos of the place where they are hiding. It doesn’t look like we will be able to film in the country anytime soon,” he says.
— With inputs from Niharika Lal and M Suganth
I knew that if David Dhawan gave me a role, he wouldn’t waste me, says Satish Shah on 25th anniversary of Hero No 1
8:18 AM
Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 21, 2022)
Filmmaker David Dhawan’s Hero No 1 (1997) gained cult status over the years and is loved by many, even today. A comedy-drama, the film starred actors Govinda, Karisma Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Satish Shah, Kader Khan, as well as Shakti Kapoor, in a cameo. Today, as the film celebrates 25 years of its release, Shah and Kapoor share their experiences of working on the film.
Kapoor recalls, “I was at home, as some shoot had been cancelled. That’s when David called and asked me to fly to Bangkok. He said, ‘Take a vacation for a few days. Five-six days ki achhi holiday hogi’. We have a strong friendship and (he) said I was his lucky charm, so I agreed to do the cameo. He sent the ticket and I flew over. It was fun. I did that only for David.”
Talking about his experience of working on the cult film, Shah, who played the role of Karisma’s uncle, shares: “David is my batchmate from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), and knew that I loved singing, so he cast me for the role of a musician in the film. I am glad it turned out well. I knew that if David gave me a role, he wouldn’t waste me. These were the kinds of movies where there was no stress. Maza aata tha shoot pe and one looked forward to shooting. Masti masti mein ban gayi, isliye itni achhi bani.”
He also adds that the film was inspired from filmmaker Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Bawarchi (1972), starring the late Rajesh Khanna, and everyone in the cast knew it would be a hit. Shah says, “I knew it would be a hit as it was a modern version of the film. The entertainment value was more than the original, I feel. There was more comedy in Hero No 1.”
Shah is, however, disappointed that he didn’t have any scenes with Kader Khan. “I have done many films with Kader bhai and his wit was well-known. I had a different rapport with Govinda as he had shot his first film, Love 86 (1986), with me. I would encourage him a lot, as he was a kid back then. He evolved a lot and became the star that we know (today)... He loves and respects me a lot. Even today, if I spot him on a TV screen, I stop and watch,” he shares.
Coronavirus is a big hauua according to me-Satish Shah
7:19 PM
Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 12, 2020)
Senior actor Satish Shah is doing well and is currently being quarantined at his home after testing positive for Covid-19 in July. The 69-year-old, who revealed via a tweet that he was fine, says, “Covid-19 is a big hauua according to me. The Coronavirus has not, by itself, killed anyone. I wanted to let people know so that they realise that people who died after testing positive are mostly ones who had other health issues which worsened and their bodies couldn’t cope. Most people recover so there is nothing to be scared of.”
Though he hadn’t stepped out, Shah felt something was amiss when he would be feverish usually in the evenings and that persisted for six-seven days. He spoke to his doctor friend, who asked him to get tested. Once the results showed he was positive, the friend suggested that Shah get treated in a hospital. His wife, too, tested positive but was asymptomatic.
Shah admits, “I was not scared about going to the hospital. I didn’t anticipate that anything untoward would happen like major illness or death. I didn’t take chances with my health due to my age. I would advise people that there is nothing to be scared of. When you feel you have any symptoms, get tested and get treated and everything will be fine. Getting treated at the onset is important and if you have any complications or health issues — don’t hide it. Having a positive mindset helps. It was as simple as that.”
Shah reveals that when he got admitted, he kept it low-key and didn’t inform anyone as he didn’t want any publicity out of it. “I had decided that once I come back home, I would tell people that I am hale and hearty. And if I didn’t, people would learn about it anyway (laughs),” he says.
The actor is thankful to the hospital doctors, nurses and other health workers who were “fantastic and took great care”. He was admitted on July 20 and was discharged on July 28. Shah says, “They pampered and looked after me very well. But I am sad that I couldn’t recognise anyone as they were all wearing PPE suits every time they saw me. I tested negative on the 24th and then again on 26th, but due to my age, I was kept under observation till 28th.”
Laughter Challenge used to get a TRP of 7 then while Sarabhai vs Sarabhai was at 1-Aatish Kapadia
7:49 AM
Sarabhai VS Sarabhai, the sitcom that redefined comedy in spite of low ratings, returns to a new screen
Kunal Guha (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 7, 2017)
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.
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.
Shooting for Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai kicks off
7:53 AM
Nastasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 5, 2017)
The Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai team, which is set for a comeback in web series format, kicked off shooting on Monday with the makers unveiling the cast’s new looks through a live video and a new addition to the family, Sahil (Sumeet Raghavan) and Monisha Sarabhai’s (Rupali Ganguly) son, Guddu.
Producer J D Majethia told Mirror, “The views for our video crossed 2.4 million in less than 24 hours. That’s unheard of. It’s really nostalgic for us to return with the show. We had done some workshops, before shooting began, on the new set. It gave all of us goosebumps. We went live so that the audience could be part of the experience.”
Speaking about the changes the characters will portray in the new season, the actor-producer added, “We have added some streaks of grey to Maya (Ratna Pathak Shah) and Indravardhan’s (Satish Shah) hair. People love these characters as they are so we didn’t want to change much.”
Why veteran actors have no qualms in switching over to web series
8:10 AM
Deepali Singh (DNA; November 20, 2016)
The likes of Rajit Kapur, Shernaz Patel, Kumud Mishra, Asrani, Alok Nath and others are going digital. The online medium is youth-oriented and experience brings a refreshing take to this rather clutter-breaking platform. So, imagine our surprise when we saw the otherwise sanskaari babuji Alok Nath go all Sinskaari on us and dole out gyaan on everything from premarital sex to role-play. The series failed to take off, but it made a point.
At this point in their lives, these actors have seen and done it all on their preferred mediums — TV, films and theatre. The internet is a whole different creature. Alok echoes the sentiment. “I think my contemporaries and I are at a stage when we have been there and done that,” he says, “We are at a stage when the kids have grown up and doing their own thing. We want to do stuff now that excites us because we have done so much. We want to do a variety of stuff and if we get that variety on web, why not?”
Medium doesn’t matter
Speaking to this newspaper a couple of days ago, Satish Shah, who is making his debut in a web series based on his popular TV show Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai, had said, that "The medium didn’t really matter. I will be working with the same set of actors and same set-up and it will be as good or better than before,” he told us.
Indeed, most actors agree that the platform doesn’t really matter. Acclaimed actor Kumud Mishra, believes that they are here to act, and not to worry about which platform it’s shown on. The actor, who played the role of the lovable father Chinmay Sharma in TVF’s latest web series Tripling, says, “I have liked almost all of TVF’s work. They are new people with interesting ideas and that honesty reflects in their work,” he says, of his reasons for working in the show.
Theatre and film actor Shernaz Patel, who played the role of his wife in the same series, admits that the digital platform is great for people like her who are too scared to commit to television’s huge demands. “Frankly, nobody’s watching television anymore because everyone’s watching web shows. This is the future. Either you embrace it, or you miss out on a wonderful opportunity,” she adds.
Interesting storylines
When Kumud talks of interesting storylines and characters, he isn’t just parading another line. Earlier this year, Permanent Roommates Season 2 saw veteran actor Asrani playing Dadaji and creating mischief in the lead couple’s life and Sachin Pilgaonkar as the grandfather who does not believe in imparting sex education to kids in Y-Films’ Sex Chat with Pappu and Papa.
While Tripling had Shernaz playing a mother, she did not shy away from giving relationship advice to her son. In Y-Films’ Bang Baaja Baaraat, she is shown kissing a much younger Neil Bhoopalam. “I’am lucky that both the shows I did had me playing fun characters, breaking moulds,” she adds.
Youth connect
While the actors agree that they don’t have the target audience in mind when they take up such projects, they admit that it is an added plus that the youth is able to relate to them in these shows. Says Kumud, “In fact, a lot of people have come to know about me because I have been a part of a web series,” he agrees.
Talking about his own experience in Sinskaari, Alok admits he was apprehensive about taking on the show. “Then I thought, it’s a transition to another medium and I should try it. As far as films are concerned, the kind of roles I have been doing all my life have dried up. We get roles in television because the small screen is still in the regressive mode. Oldies are still goldies there. But when it comes to the contemporary content, we are nowhere. So when I got an offer to do a web-series, I latched on to it,” he says.
Perhaps Darshan Jariwala, who played the role of the quirky father in Permanent Roommates Season 2, sums it up when he says, “Nowadays, youngsters want to click a selfie with me, not because I am a National Award winning actor for Gandhi My Father, but because I acted in PR-2!”
Sarabhai vs Sarabhai was the first failure of my career-Satish Shah
7:47 AM
Satish Shah, currently on a sabbatical, will make a comeback with web series of the popular show
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; November 5, 2016)
He is nothing short of a comic genius. His name is enough to bring a smile on your face. Satish Shah in his three-decade career has raised laughter on TV with his tongue-in-cheek humour, wit and affability. From Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi, Filmi Chakkar to Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai, every show he did is iconic. Even the music countdown show Philips Top Ten is best remembered for Shah’s inimitable hosting and the various characters he donned in them. It remains the highest rated show on Indian television — at one point, it had garnered 48 TRPs! And yet, the actor has done only a handful of shows, his last being Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai. He is now set to return with a web series.
We meet the 65-year-old actor to find out why he has been missing in action on TV that is in dire need of some clean-hearted, pure humour that he specialised in on the small-screen. It took some convincing and a producer friend to put in a word for the veteran actor to finally give me “30 minutes”. So, it was with trepidation that I arrived at his house. I feared that he must be a serious man in real life, as most comedians are known to be. After a wait of 20 minutes, Shah walked in looking charismatic with grey hair and moustache. He told the photographer to capture him in proper light lest his thinning hair be seen! Within minutes we were chatting like friends thanks to his charm and geniality. And, the interview continued for more than an hour over cups of coffee. Excerpts.
After Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai, you haven’t done any serial....
I still get offers, and the money offered is at par or better than top TV actors, but the reason I have kept away is that I cannot work in the format of daily soaps. All the shows I have done so far have been weeklies. If I do dailies, my life will be like a robot. At this stage I want to relish the fame and adulation. I have earned it and by the grace of God I am doing well.
You didn’t judge a show after Comedy Circus...
During Comedy Circus, I found that I did not go with the flow of the format. There were three judges and by the time I got my turn, the other two had said whatever I wanted to. I was not smart enough to add something else to it and found my lines were cut. I felt my participation was not there.
Have you watched any of the current comedy shows on TV?
Yes, I have, but I can’t watch shows which have the same kind of humour for long. I used to watch Kapil Sharma’s show but after a few episodes, I withdrew because I found he had the same kind of repartee and one-liners. Krushna Abhishek started in front of me in Comedy Circus. He has turned out to be very good comedian. He has a great ease in front of the camera. I believe that if a person finds a comfort level in front of the camera, nobody can stop him. I have no complaints against the comedians today, whether it is Kapil or Krushna. I like the way they improvise the situation and sometimes even save it. But as I said I get bored watching the same format after a while. However, their shows are getting good TRPS (TV Rating Points), which means the audience is liking them. Who am I to say they aren’t good?
Hasn’t the concept of comedy changed over the years on TV and films?
It has and these days there is a lot of toilet humour. I don’t know from where it has crept in. It is not needed at all. I took a strong objection to some episodes in Comedy Circus too, but people felt I was being khadoos. Maybe, I belong to a different genre or generation. In films, especially, I get disgusted with the kind of humour that has come up. I am so happy that I did not accept some films that were offered to me. My humour is a little sophisticated... how do I put it.. it’s bhadra (refined). Initially, I did that kind of comedy when I started out. I did Ramsay films, I was new and it was an experiment, even vulgarity was there. I still admire Shyam Ramsay as a director. He is very good in all departments of cinema, but unfortunately he got stuck in the horror genre.
What is the reason behind this change in comedy?
Those writers were different. Sharad Joshi used to write serials like Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi. Sanjay Chhel scripted Filmi Chakkar. Today, it is difficult for writers, especially those who write comedy because so much is being churned out. It’s not a problem for daily soap writers because they can take inspiration from novels, introduce a twist and turn in the plot. There can also be ghost writers. Sometimes suggestions come from the channel. But for humour you need a lot of time to write. There were times when I used to interfere in the dialogue of some serials that I did like Filmi Chakkar. Sanjay was very enthusiastic and would put all the punches in one scene. He was very young and I would tell him to write whatever her feels and then I would segregate it. Even he allowed me to do it as I was a senior artiste. The reason I took so much interest in the serial was because if it doesn’t do well people won’t say the producer or director is bad, but that Satish Shah is bad! Whatever I got associated with on TV became my responsibility. I would take interest not only in my lines, but also others’ and help with their punches. You can ask my co-actors like Vijay Kashyap (Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi). People should laugh and enjoy whether it’s on my joke or reaction.
Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai was so popular, but still there hasn’t been any talk about a sequel or season 2. Why is that?
Let me tell you something, we did the serial as a weekly. However, at that time it was not publicised much. By the time people got to know that it’s a good serial and started watching it, it was taken off air due to lack of TRPs! It was the first failure of my career on TV. I felt bad. Later, the show was re-run as a daily. That’s when people got hooked on it. The irony is Sarabhai was a big flop when it was released the first time, otherwise it would have been still running. And that was one show for which I had compromised on my remuneration, too.
Was the character of Indravadhan Sarabhai close to you?
Producer J D Majethia and writer Aatish Kapadia had come to my house to narrate the script. When they left I told my wife (Madhu), they have just described to me what I am in real life! That’s how similar Indravadhan was to me. Whether it is the humour, wit or one-liners, he says exactly what I would in a situation. I am also at heart a South Bombay guy (Kemps Corner) because I was born and brought up there.
Tell us about your cool chemistry with Ratna Pathak Shah who played your wife in Filmi Chakkar and Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai?
Ratnaji’s mother and my father’s younger sister were best friends. Her mother got married in my aunt’s house. At that time we were not into acting, but we knew each other. When we met professionally, we just hit it off and have a great comfort level. Her husband (Naseeruddin Shah) is my best friend and my wife is her best friend. Hum dono screen par aate the toh really husband-wife ki tarah the. That is chemistry.
What was the best thing about doing this show?
The best thing about Sarabhai was all the characters were important — adrak, mirchi, nimbu milake ganne ka juice gahazab ka hota hai — and all of us gelled well together. We used to eagerly wait to go on the sets. That’s why even after a decade, we all meet once in two-three months at somebody’s place. I am an easy going person. I don’t have airs about me being a senior artiste. I make the other person comfortable, so that he can interact well. My performance depends on the reaction of the co-artiste. If he is not relaxed, he can’t give a perfect performance.
What do you think worked for the serial?
The serial was a little over-the-top, but underplayed. For instance, take Roshesh’s character (a mama’s boy he recited nonsensical poems with rhyming words). It could have easily gone into the zone of buffoonery, but he did it so seriously. The way he would ask everyone’s opinion after he recited the poem made it even more funny.
Any anecdotes that you can share with us?
We used to share each other’s food. All of us would sit together including the director, cameraman, lightmen etc. There was no hierarchy. I used to bring lunch, which everybody used to eat, but what Ratna would bring nobody would eat. Not because she didn’t share, but because she would bring very little quantity. She would say, jiski jaisi body. Later, she did want to share, but felt embarrassed. However, she called us to her house several times for dinner and we had a blast.
Now, that there is talk of it making a comeback as a web series there is a lot of excitement among the fans...
It’s one show that never left anybody’s mind. Sarabhai has a huge footprint. I had gone to Houston in February and four of us had lunch at a hotel. When I asked for the bill, the waiter told us it had been paid for, but refused to reveal the identity of the person who paid. When I insisted, he said it was paid by a couple, and that they were waiting outside. When I met them, they said they were newly-married and loved Sarabhai which was airing there then. The serial has trickled from Indian shores to Europe and America where it is popular.
This will be your first web series?
Yes, though we have just bounced the idea. I don’t care whether it is in digital format or on TV, I will be working with the same actors and same set up. I have to perform in front of a camera and it will be as good or better than before.
After a decade, Satish Shah will make a comeback on TV in a musical comedy series
7:40 AM
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 29, 2015)
Satish Shah, who has been a part of popular TV shows like Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi, Ghar Jamai and All The Best has been away from the small screen for a decade now. His last appearance was in Jamnadas Majethia and Aatish Kapadia's Sarabhai vs Sarabhai in 2006. Now, the veteran actor is all set to collaborate with them for a yet untitled musical comedy series.
Confirming the news Satish, who will play Hussain Kuwajerwala's grandfather, says, "I thoroughly enjoyed working with the makers in the past. The cast of Sarabhai vs Sarabhai is like family now and we meet once in a while, so when I was offered this show I couldn't say no. We'll be doing some workshops for it."
The new show is along the lines of Sarabhai vs Sarabhai and Khichdi, and revolves around one family. "Like my previous shows, this one too won't have any vulgarity or double meaning jokes," promises Satish who has kept away from TV because of the changing trend. "I was never into the daily soap business. My shows aired once or twice a week. I can't do a daily as I'm busy doing films too."
It rolls in August. The makers and the channel are yet to decide if it will be a weekly or a bi-weekly. Currently, they are scouting for two leading ladies.
Bharat Jadhav to play dead man in Kundan Shah's P Se PM Tak
7:42 AM
Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 23, 2015)
Kundan
Shah's Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, is still remembered for Satish Shah's
portrayal of municipal commissioner D'Mello whose corpse is an important
player in this comedy of terrors. Twenty-two years later, the filmmaker
returns with another political satire, P Se PM Tak, which also revolves
around a 'dead man' played by veteran theatre actor, Bharat Jadhav. "Kundan Shah is a filmmaker I've always admired and wanted to work with," Jadhav told Mirror, adding that his corpse is different. "I play a politician who's dead but his party workers are made to believe that he's alive and talking through a voiceover in the background. I've had a lot of fun with this hilarous role. You rarely get to play a dead man!"
After Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro premiere, the actors went back home in a local train
7:50 AM
Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 19, 2014)
Kundan Shah's dark satire, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, on the rampant corruption in Indian politics, bureaucracy, business and news media, opened on August 12, 1983. The actors, Naseeruddin Shah, Satish Kaushik, Pankaj Kapur, and Om Puri -- many of them still strugglers -- were eager to attend their first film premiere. "We felt like stars and dressed in our Sunday best, trooped into Maratha Mandir to be greeted by Kundan (Shah) at the entrance. He had paid for our tickets and made sure he got his money back before allowing us in," recalls Satish Kaushik.
After the show, they ate at a dhaba, walked up to Charni Road station, and took the local train back home--unaware that their film would become a cult classic.
"It was the first NFDC film to be bought by a regular distributor, Ramesh Sippy. At Delhi's Sheila theatre, it ran for 30 weeks in morning shows. Every time I was in the capital, I'd go there and strike a pose in front of the poster, hoping someone would recognise me," he admits with a laugh.
Today, three decades later, filmmakers are in awe of this little big film made on a budget of Rs 9 lakh. Generations of film buffs still savour the classic dialogue 'Kisi desh ki unati ki pehchan agar kisi cheez se hoti hai toh woh hai gutter. Woh gutter ke liye jiye. Aur gutter ke liye mare. Marte hue unke aakhri shabd the gutter. Commissioner D'Mello ki yaad main ek din ke liye sheher ke saare gatar band kiye jaayenge, aap log peene ka paani pahle se bhar lein'.
Satish who played Ashok Namboodirippad, the assistant of builder Tarneja (Pankaj Kapur), also made his debut as dialogue writer with this film. Once, when he was in Delhi, he dropped by to meet his senior, Ranjit Kapoor. Kundan was there trying to coax Ranjit to write the dialogue for his film. Out of the blue, Ranjit announced he'd co-write with Satish.
"I was as taken aback as Kundan but Ranjit insisted my sense of humour would benefit the film," says Satish, recalling how Ranjit and he would record everything they spoke, then act it out. "Whatever worked found its way into the script," he quips.
They got stuck with the climax. Hoping to get rid of the creative block, the duo took a 10-day break. One day, Satish, spotted a vendor selling books on the road. His stack of cheap comic books caught his eye. There was everything, from Anarkali and Laila Majnu to the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Satish bundled up all the books and took them to Kundan and Ranjit, suggesting that they end the film with a play which would be a mash-up of all these stories.
In the film, the two photographers, Vinod Chopra (Naseer) and Sudhir Mishra (Ravi Baswani) inadvertently stumble on the corpse of Municipal Commissioner D'Mello (Satish Shah) during an assignment.Trying to prevent his replacement, Shrivastava (Deepak Qazir), the unscrupulous Tarneja (Pankaj Kapur) and the editor of Khabardar, Shobha Sen (Bhakti Bharve) from wrestling the corpse away, they run helter skelter through the city. They stumble into a stage dramatisation of the Mahabharata. The Draupadi Cheer-Haran episode is being enacted and they force their way into the play. Others follow and corpse turns into Draupadi. Om Puri who plays another builder, Ahuja, screams, "Draupadi teri akele ki nahi hai, hum sab shareholder hain." While Duryodhan, who had ordered that she be disrobed, pledges to save her honour. An oft-quoted line is, "Nalayak, adharmi, durachari, mamachari, bhrashtachari, bol sorry!."
The hilarity peaks when a new act, Salim-Anarkali, is introduced with the corpse now doubling up as the tragic courtisan. In the theatres, the audience roll with laughter as the cops finally make an appearance on screen to be presented with D'Mello's corpse. Tarneja's game is up. But he threatens to bring Ahuja and Shobha down with him, so in another twist in the tale, Shrivastava pins the murder on Vinod and Sudhir. They are marched off to prison.
Cut to the present.... The two jail birds step out, older and wiser, their cut-throat gesture expressing the end of truth and justice in this new age of corruption. But there is no bitterness as they submit to their fate—Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, Just Let It Go, Friends!
"Ranjit, who was from the Parsi theatre, had penned a song which began with these words and reflected their realisation. It was to be picturised on the railway platform. We had a commercial cinema in mind but Kundan would not have any naach gaana in his film. So the song was scissored out, but the first four words became our title," Satish reveals.
On November 2, 2012, NFDC, along with PVR Director's Rare, rereleased a digitally restored version of the film across 11 cities. It drew full houses. Satish, who accompanied Naseer and Kundan for the screening, was enthused by the response to their feel-good cinema. "So many youngsters have seen it on TV and love it as much as their parents," beams Satish.
He recently gave his NOC for the sequel to producer Neeraj Vohra. "The original wasn't a paying proposition but the sequel has already fetched me some money," he beams.
Satish, who will be acting in Part 2 too, says Kundan had sent me the script last year. "But I'm told he is working on a new draft. I'm waiting for them to ask me for my dates," he says.
In all likelihood, many of the original actors will be in the sequel with a few exception like Bhakti Bharve and Ravi Baswani, who are no more. "They were both fantastic actors and Ravi, who was one of stars after the superhit Chashme Buddoor, had a special talent for collecting friends. Every evening, after pack-up, he would round up a bunch of us for drinks and laughs," Satish flashbacks. "The laughs will continue."
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