Flop Show - Review

No, I am not talking about the World Cup Cricket. I am talking about that late 80s show (1, 2, 3) on Doordarshan. Last Sunday, my wife and I were browsing through some VCDs when she chanced upon this serial. I am a big fan of this series. My brother and I had memorized a particular episode and used to recite them in gatherings. The particular episode deals with the troubles of people living in a colony where the construction of the flats is very poor. When Mr Bhatti tries to fix a nail into the wall, a brick gives way and falls into the neighboring apartment breaking their TV. The show reminded me of my house in Delhi, which too was famous infamous among our relatives for similar construction quality. Another reason to get nostalgic was the memories of our Punjabi neighbors in Delhi. The locations also remind me of the few places in Delhi which I like (even though this serial is shot in Chandigarh).

The show is a satire on the problems of the common man in the late 80s and the early 90s - like getting a telephone, getting a house to live in, and the comical office situation like getting fake medical reimbursements, trying to find the dog of your boss in order to get a promotion. Many of these situations still exist, not necessarily in the same way. Whats even more impressive is that the serial is made on a shoe string budget. Jaspal Bhatti and his wife are the central characters in each. Very few extras, no extravagant sets and in all probability, the serial was shot using a camcorder or an inexpensive camera. Other than the Jaspal Bhatti and Vivek Shaug, the others are not very good actors, but these two manage to carry them. Do watch it - its worth it even after all those years.

Rating - 7.5/10