The Saas-Bahu Story With A Twist!. Review on Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai

I am a TV junkie. But I don’t watch all those Saas-Bahu serials on one particular channel. Well, if I don’t watch those weirdoes, then you may ask me, “Arre Anuj, phir tum TV par kya dekhte ho?” My answer: I watch movies on my local cable-wallah’s VCD channel. I watch cricket live telecasts, especially when an India match is live on air. I ‘used to’ watch TV news, but not anymore. And I watch all kinds of comedy shows. I hate all those saas-bahu shows to such an extent that even if Ekta Kapoor pays me @ Rs. 100 per minute to watch Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, I will take the money and instead of watching her serial, I will go and spend it on a third-grade Mithun movie! But why only a Mithun movie? Because, a Mithun movie actually makes sense when compared to her serials!

I watch all kinds of comedy shows and movies. It doesn’t matter to me if it is Friends or You’ve Got Mail or Khichdi or The Great Indian Comedy Show. In the end, I want my heart full of laughter. It is the best way to end my tough and tiring day. That’s one reason why I have been on Mouthshut for such a long time. I mean, over the past few months, I have come across some very good write-ups and have interacted with some members who have the knack of making you laugh, even at the most nonsensical issue. Lekin ab bahut faltoo ki baatein ho gayi hain, mudday par aata hoon. (When translated, I mean: Enough of my ramblings, now I get serious!)

Well, when I talk about Sarabhai vs. Sarabhai, I can’t get serious. This is perhaps the best slapstick comedy show on air. Each character is equally amusing. I make it a point to watch it every Monday night at 9pm on Star One, and it refreshes me even as I come to terms with the rush of a newly started week. Its star cast consists of some heavy-weights and some not so well-known actors, but what brings out the best in them is the wonderful script and direction of actor-turned-director Deven Bhojani (of Dekh Bhai Dekh fame).

The Lead Roles:

Indravadan Sarabhai

Played by Satish Shah. He is the original troublemaker. He loves to see his wife Maya go taunt her daughter-in-law Monisha for frivolous reasons and yet sympathizes with Monisha, like a true father. Then he loves to hate his wife for not serving him his favorite breakfast. The most hilarious parts of his character are those where he taunts his younger son Rosesh (more on him later).

Maya Sarabhai

Ratna Pathak Shah excels in the role of Maya. She is truly the star of the show. Maya can be described as a woman who follows the culture and values of the high society and who doesn’t care a damn for what people say about her. Almost the whole of the Sarabhai saga is centered round her. She has a certain dislike for Monisha and a special liking for her son Rosesh.

Dr. Sahil

Played by Sumit Raghavan, he is the bespectacled elder son of the Sarabhais. One tends to sympathize with this poor boy as he bears the brunt of all of the fights between his wife and mom. He turns out to be the most sensible of all the Sarabhais. In the end he is the one who tries to make peace with all the family members.

Monisha

Rupali Ganguly looks cute as she plays the role of Monisha. She is the wife of Dr. Sahil, comes from a middle-class family and is always intent on saving money in whatever way she can. She acts dumb at times but is a very innocent girl at heart. That’s one reason why she easily puts up with her mom-in-law’s taunts.

Rosesh

I don’t know the name of the actor who plays Rosesh, but he executes his part to perfection. His is his momma ka beta and is the classic example of how to look dumb and yet be good enough to attract the most attention. His heavily Gujarati accented Hindi with a mixture of English will invite truckloads of laughter from the viewers. He is a well-built guy with a disheveled hairstyle who wants to be a poet and an actor at the same time. And he fails at both. Then he cries like a baby and is consoled by his momma.

What makes this serial incredibly hilarious is the use of background sounds. There are no laughter tracks to help you out, rather they rely more on the script and performances of the actors to make you laugh. But the use of background sounds makes each scene all the more interesting. For instance, the sound of three bullet shots in the background adds fuel to Maya’s taunts of Monisha.

If you need your weekly dose of laughter, then this serial is a must watch. I am sure you will be surprised by their take on the saas-bahu relationship. These two ladies of this serial are a welcome change from the dull goody-goody saas’s and vampish bahus who walk the talk in slow motion on most serials of Star Plus. But ultimately this serial sends out the right message - A Family that FIGHTS together, lives together.

Cheers!