Long before the idiot box got that name, it used to show meaningful, relatable and funny content. Much before Comedy Nights With Kapil and Comedy Circus became famous, the big daddies of Indian comedy shows had already taken the genre to another level. They left a legacy that just can’t be replaced by any other show.
Here are 11 Indian comedy shows from the past that we would love to see again:
1. Dekh Bhai Dekh
Dinner time was incomplete without the Diwan family. We could actually relate with the characters played by the handsome Naveen Nischol, the elegant Farida Jalal, the adorable Shekhar Suman and the rest of the cast.
Quick fact: DBD was produced by Jaya Bachchan.
2. Zabaan Sambhalke
After Dekh Bhai Dekh ended, its prime time slot was taken by Zabaan Sambhaalke, which did equally well. Pankaj Kapoor’s impeccable acting and dialogue delivery, mixed with characters from different states, worked well with the Indian audience.
3. Tu Tu Main Main
So, saas bahu it was, but nothing like the nonsense that is dished out on TV these days. The show would bag the award for the best saas bahu serial on Indian television any day.
4 . Shrimaan Shrimati
“Shrimaan jiiiii, Pyari Shrimati ji!” Rings a bell, doesn’t it? We loved the opening music of the show as much as we loved Keshav and Kokila Kulkarni’s characters.
5. Office Office
Another one of Pankaj Kapoor’s gems, Office Office was a hilarious yet true take on the ‘ sarkaari’ attitude of people. We loved to hate the misery that poor Mussadilal had to endure every time he went to get his work done.
6. Hum Paanch
We loved watching Anand Mathur get into trouble because of his five crazy daughters. The daughters as well as their late mother, whose photograph was on the wall throughout the series, were our favourite.
7. Movers And Shakers
One of the first late night talk shows we had, it was inarguably the best. The tabla player who was part of the orchestra was one of our personal favourites!
8. Flop Show
Jaspal Bhatti’s Flop Show was nothing like the name suggested. A satire on the socio-cultural problems faced by the common man, we still remember it for the ever-so-smiling Bhatti saab, even though only 10 episodes of the show were actually produced.
9. Family No. 1
Remember Beach House A and B? This story of two families with six kids and their daily nok jhok was always a delight to watch.
10. The Great Indian Comedy Show
The show was a pioneer of stand-up comedy in India. Ranvir Shorey, Vinay Pathak, Gaurav Gera, Suresh Menon and Raju Srivastav tickled our funny bone with this one for years.
11. Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai
This one came much after the others but the list cannot be complete without it. Rosesh’s poems and Monisha’s middle class take on everything was just too hilarious to ignore.
These days, the number of channels have increased and their production has become costlier but no serial has been able to repeat the magic of these gems.
Wouldn’t we all love to have these shows back?
