Heavily inspired by my Mumbai dwelling sister’s blog article on the English television shows that we grew up watching, I
decided to take a break from the 70mm (really?? just after two articles?? Well
the heart wants and does as it pleases.) and take a look at its younger cousin
that sits pretty, often dustily in our drawing rooms. But wait…In true
Bollywood style I claim that my article is a ‘different’ and ‘hat ke’.
Seriously the readers of this article are in for a huge shock! A twist that
will make them hula hoop naked through the streets! Are you ready for it? I’m
not looking English television shows that I grew up watching. I’m looking at
the HINDI SHOWS THAT I GREW UP WATCHING!!!!...Hhhm!!....Hhhmmm???...
But seriously, the article inspiration aside, I have been a
little high on 90’s nostalgia for the past few months. Part of the reason is
that I get daily updates from Facebook groups like You knew you grew up in India in the 90s when… and I read another article that gave me a warm, fuzzy, wrapped-up-in-a-blanket-with-a-cup-of-hot-chocolate-on-a-cold-rainy-afternoon
like feeling about 90’s. Now add to this to nostalgia cocktail, a dose of
current Indian television serials that I happened to catch a glimpse off while
visiting my New Jersey dwelling sister over the Christmas weekend. I felt like
I needed to explain the whole scenario of me catching the glimpse here because
one of my greatest fears is that I am found dead in a ditch, smartphone in
hand, YouTube app playing, Iss Pyyaarr ko
mein kya naaamm du…??? Episode 13…I shudder even as I write this.
Seriously, I can’t stress how badly I wouldn’t want to be found dead watching
those serials.
So this heady cocktail made me think back to the Hindi TV
serials that I or all kids of the 90’s who were lucky enough to have a TV at
home, grew up watching. No offense here. But anyone who grew up in that time knows
how one truly had to be blessed to own things like an Onida TV…… or a Kinetic
scooter with a button start!!..Seriously, you don’t have to kick it???...... more
than two Hot wheels cars!!,…..A HE-MAN ACTION FIGURE!!!!!....., a rubber ball that’s
not lost yet!!!!.....NO…….shoes THAT EMIT LIGHT!!!!!!.... a cycle!!!! A cricket
bat that doesn’t suck!!! And on and on I can go. I guess it’s in all of us to
somewhat romanticize our past, hate our present and demonize our future. But it’s
also in all of us to love our childhood. So I proudly flaunt my love for the 90’s.
RANDOM IDEA: I am going to get an I <3
the 90’s t-shirt made.
But I digress. Coming back to the Hindi TV serials of that
time. Before I get into to the list of shows that I thought back to, I would
like to make a larger point here (Bear with me). I believe off late, a common
sentiment in urban India is that we as a country are regressing. With the
recent SC judgment of reversing section 377, the absolutely horrendous atrocities
that women have been through in the past few years, the idiotic ‘Smoking is
injurious to health’ captions incorporated in movies, shutting off restaurants
by 10.30 pm and other larger issues that I fail to recall right now. Now while
TV shows don’t really qualify to be a part of this discussion plainly based on
the gravity of the issues. And I make no attempt at arguing otherwise. But the common
thread here is the very emotion that I go through while watching TV shows of
today-“What?? Really???...Oh man!!.....You can’t be serious!.....NOOOOO….We got
it right the first time!!”.
And we truly did, I happened to be of age at a time when the
first private cable channels came around in India casting a huge shadow on the tame
public channel, Doordarshan. And man was it a big hit! Gone were the days when
Sunday morning/cricket match was the only time one got real entertainment from
the telly. Gone were the times when housewives had to nap along with Doordarshan
on Weekday afternoons. For the uninitiated, Doordarshan pretty much did not
have shows to cast in the late afternoon on weekdays and since the viewership
was low during those timeslots, they didn’t feel motivated to change that.
Now awkwardly jumping bang on, right into the very point of
this article is my underlying message to the premier private cable channels of
India vis a vis Zee TV, Sony Entertainment Television, STAR TV : YOU GOT IT
RIGHT THE FIRST TIME AROUND! The shows that first came on TV from these
channels had good stories (or at least a semblance of one), great
characterization and above all good acting! This was a time where I imagine
being a TV actor was not uncool. The shows weren’t trying to imitate their
cooler 70mm cousin. There weren’t freaking item songs in the middle of the
episodes! I can’t remember Bollywood actors making cameos to promote their
Friday releases. The characters (at least a good percentage of them) were grey
and not black and white. Sure, the excess melodrama existed, but the milieu of
the shows was still relatable. I can’t recall excessively gaudy sets or
excessively noisy background scores. I remember that characters could be nice
people and still enjoy a smoke or have an affair out of a loveless marriage or
even a perfect marriage! Businessmen destroyed their rivals and there was an
attempt made to explain HOW THEY DID! Sure the shows suffered from the usual
caveats of stretching the story well beyond its worth, annoyingly ending episodes
at interesting/suspenseful moments, adding random characters to increase
interest (oh-she’s-the-bastard-sister-of-one-of-the-lead-characters-and-the-character-has-decided-to-accept-her-as-her-sister-but-we-don’t-know-her-true-intentions-yet).
But I would like to believe that there was a genuine effort/passion that went
behind making these shows. Nothing earth shattering but good popcorn or rather chai-pakoda entertainment.
Anyway, this topic is highly rant worthy, so without further
ado, I am going to go ahead and enlist the good old shows from the early 90’s
cable TV.
DISCLAIMER: My
memory of most of these shows is pretty hazy and I’m too lazy to google the
depths of google. So if I’m factually wrong here, just let it go….Seriously….please…let….it…..go…..
Shrimaan Shrimati
This was a time when Archana Puran Singh
did not serve as the poor substitute to Navjot Singh’s boisterous laughs on reality
shows. This was a time when people knew who Rakesh Bedi was(in top form as the effeminate
husband of a popular actor). This was a time when the late Jatin Kanakia (one
of the funniest guys on TV) was still around. Whether you remember the show or
not, I bet you remember ‘Kokiji……’
Hum Paanch
Believe it or not but the reigning queen of
the hammy, OTT K-serials that we all love to cringe at, once made a really
funny TV show. While it’s slightly embarrassing to admit now, but I was a
regular viewer. The highlight for me was the impeccable comic timing of Ashok
Saraf as the father of 5 daughters each with her own idiosyncrasy. The lasting
memory of this show for me is Sweety, played by Rakhi Vijan, who would sing a
different Bollywood song each time she opened the door for a guest in the
house.
Teri Bhi Chup Meri Bhi Chup
Ok, shockingly, I couldn’t find a video of
this show on YouTube or even a relevant image on google. Was I the only one who
saw this show? This one worked for me purely because of the chemistry between
the late Shafi Inaamdaar (again, a great loss) and Bharti Achrekar. Their daily
husband-wife banter based on household/livelihood issues along with raising two
kids formed the crux of the show. Undoubtedly the cutest couple of 90’s
television.
Parampara
Man, was I hooked to this show! Again, didn’t
find anything relevant online to jog my memory but from what I remember, this
show was about joint family feuds that extended to the business in the form of
power games. The highlight of this show was Mohan Bhandari’s portrayal of
Naresh Malhotra (the primary villain of the show). He drank, he schemed, he
womanized, and he was rude and brash. Man, was he cool! This is the man who
taught me how to say, “Bloody hell!”
Hip Hip Hurray!
Ok, if my male friends are to ever find
this post, I’m going to get severe judgment for this! But let God be damned! I
was in my pre-teens/teens when this show aired and it had a heavy portion of
hot girls clad in short school skirts occasionally interrupted by some
semi-douchy guys! Watching this show was like sneaking a glance of desirable legs
while purposefully dropping your pen in class. Needless to say, waxed legs are
the only lasting memory I have of the show.
Banegi Apni Baat
I’m surprised of how very few people know
that the now globally celebrated Irfan Khan (one of my favorites) was once a
wife beater on television. I still faintly recall the disgust, fear and loathe
that he induced in me whenever he made an appearance. Looking back, I got into
the show due to avid interest my “I am too mature for my age” sister had in the
show and the avid interest I had in doing everything around the television. We
were definitely not of age to have watched this show that revolved around
mature concepts like college pangas, rich man eats poor man, marital problems
and obsessive lovers. What stood out for me was the stellar star cast that also
included R Madhavan, Varun Badola, Kalpana Iyer and Sandhya Mridul.
Andaaz
The beloved Hiiiimeesss bhai made his
musical debut in this show (from what I know). Again, a show with a stellar
star cast. Sudesh Berry. Enough said. This guy was seriously cool in the 90’s. The
angry young man. I’m slightly embarrassed to admit but I was a Sudesh Berry fan
boy. His style, voice, dialogue delivery…waaah waah kya baat. Navneet Nishan (of
Tara fame) was the main antagonist of this show. Now here was an ambitious
woman who would go to great lengths (often use her sexuality to manipulate the
men around her) to get what she wants, which was usually money and general
anarchy in her ex-husband’s (Berry) life. Now you tell me. Is there a single
character like her’s on TV now? One of the lasting memory of this show was how
Shekhar Suman wore no shirt inside his suit in almost all episodes and me
thinking: ‘Wow! That looks cool!!’. 90’s
was a very confusing time fashion-wise for me.
Just Mohabbat
Frankly, I wasn’t a huge fan of this show
and I thought the main character, Jay was extremely annoying. I’m still not
sure why people gave him so much bhaav. But the main selling point for the show
was its timing. It was cast Mon-Thursday at 4 or 4.30 pm. A time when most
viewers are in a very Schrodinger’s cat sleep state and are not very demanding
of their televisions,. As a kid, it served well to fill the time when you were
juggling your mom’s need of ‘You’re not going down to play without drinking
milk’ and your friend’s shouts of “NI……LEEEE….SSSHHHH” from downstairs. Lasting
memory is Saloni saying, “Jaaaaa….iiii…”.
Hasratein
Wow, now this one surely deserves kudos for
a brave story. Now this was a show where the central characters were a pair of
philandering husband and wife. Filled with a stellar star cast, this serial
rode on some good writing, unusual story ( for TV), and excellent chemistry between
the then married Harsh and Shefali Chhaya. Again, I was probably not of age
when I watched this, but it was TV drama at its best. They don’t make shows
like this anymore!
Woh
We all remember the Zee Horror Show’s and
Aahat’s of the world. While those shows had their horror moments (amongst many
comical ones), Woh was seriously scary! Starring Oscar nominated director
Ashutosh Gowarikar in the lead, the show was based on a clown that kidnaps
children in mysterious ways. I’m not sure if the show was cancelled or ended
soon, but either ways, I’m glad it ended on a high. Lasting memory: The
sleepless nights I spent after each episode aired.
Family no. 1
Two families are duped into taking a single beach
bungalow for rent, neither will back off so now they are forced to reside in
the house together. The comical attempts of each family to force the other out
of the house formed the premise of the show. Basically reverse Khatta Meetha
meets TV. The show proved that one doesn’t need loud background score or stupid
caricatures to evoke laughter. All one needs is the right lines in the right
situations backed by the right actors. Lasting memory: The sassy kid that
played Guttu. He easily had the best lines in the show.
