EXCLUSIVE: Did Shrimaan Shrimati inspire the Babita-Jethalal track in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah? SAB TV Ltd’s Ravi Adhikari BREAKS silence: “A man being attracted to another person’s wife is very relatable. You CAN’T call it a copy”
Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah recently completed 18 years and continues to enjoy a massive fan following, thanks to its comic moments, quirky characters and relatable situations. One of its most loved tracks revolves around Jethalal (Dilip Joshi) and his fondness for his married neighbour, Babita (Munmun Dutta). Interestingly, many have drawn parallels between this track and the iconic 90s sitcom Shrimaan Shrimati. The latter featured Keshav (the late Jatin Kanakia), who had a crush on his next-door neighbour Prema Shalini (Archana Puran Singh), the wife of Dilruba (Rakesh Bedi). In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Ravi Adhikari, chairman of Sri Adhikari Brothers (SAB) Television Network Ltd, addressed these similarities and a lot more.
When asked if Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah was inspired by their popular 90s show, Ravi Adhikari said, “Yes, it does seem like an inspiration. Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai follows that template even more closely. But a man being attracted to another person’s wife is a very relatable idea. You can’t call it a copy. It’s a case of the grass always being greener on the other side. What’s important, however, is ensuring that the characters don’t cross the line, and Shrimaan Shrimati, as well as the other two shows, have taken care of that.”
Gautam Adhikari’s record-breaking achievement
As per the official website of SAB Television Network Ltd, Ravi Adhikari’s father, the late media pioneer Gautam Adhikari (director and co-founder of the Sri Adhikari Brothers Group), found a place in the Limca Book of Records.
On this, Ravi said, “Yes. He received that honour for directing as many as 1,700 episodes. No one has been able to break that record yet.”
He added, “Interestingly, he passed away at the age of 67 and had started his career only at 36. Moreover, he wasn’t active during the last 10 years of his life due to health reasons. That effectively gives you a span of 21 years. Even during those 21 years, he wasn’t working continuously and was occupied with several other things. So, one can safely say that he directed those 1,700 episodes in around 17 years. There are 52 weeks in a year, which means 884 weeks over 17 years. To direct 1,700 episodes in that period means he was directing nearly two episodes every single week!”
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