The Sarabhai khandaan is back! The first episode of season two is out already, a day sooner than we expected, but no one’s complaining. As I put everything else on hold to watch the web-series avatar of my all-time favourite TV show, my fingers were crossed, desperately hoping to find the humour and charm of the Sarabhais intact.
While it’s truly hard to judge the reinvented version of an endearing comedy just by its first episode, but here goes. Beware, spoilers ahead.
While the humour seems to have picked up from where season one left off pretty seamlessly, I really miss the title track. Take 2 doesn’t have a musical touch, let alone one that can stand up to Usha Uthup’s signature style. The show has retained its elementary sound effects to heighten the funny moments, character quirks, and it still works. Rosesh’s poetry is even better (you know I mean worse, right?) this season. Maya’s sarees are just as classy, but the show’s set quite frankly, is just too flashy.
The first episode begins rather unexpectedly. The Sarabhais are trapped in a bus that’s hanging off the edge of a cliff. The driver is missing, and Madhu phupha (Arvind Vaidya) has just woken up to the calamity. As Maya (Ratna Pathak Shah) gets furious with Monisha (Rupali Ganguly) for hiring a drunk driver for their family road trip, Indravadan (Satish Shah) tries (and fails miserably) to explain the situation to Madhu phupha, who is even more hard of hearing now.
Rosesh’s poetic genius has reached a new high in this moment of anxiety. The newest member of the family, Arnab aka Guddu, encourages Rosesh (Rajesh Kumar) and gets an eye-roll from Sahil (Sumeet Raghavan) and Indu.
The seven year old doesn’t add greatly to the show just yet, but I’ll let his character brew a little.
Thankfully, their near-death experience is a flashback. Sahil opens the door to their lavish penthouse, where the Sarabhais have moved temporarily, till their Cuff Parade residence is being renovated.
The first episode surely picks up from where the series left off. Each character reconnects with the same charm. Though the first episode is more of a reintroduction to their new lives, a lot rides on the situations that are yet to come. We also meet a new character, Jasmine Mavani. She’s Rosesh’s latest infatuation, and is very very Gujarati. Maya is desperately hoping to get at least one normal daughter-in-law.
The highlight of this episode for me is the scene in which Indravadan is woken up in the middle of the night. His phone rings. Guess who’s calling? ‘I’ll Explain’ flashes on the screen and you know it’s Dushyant (Deven Bhojani). What an apt introduction! Dushyant really lives up to his introduction too. He tries to turn Rosesh into a human nose and wants to cut two holes in his backside to 'explain’ how nostrils work. Don’t even ask, just watch. Bhojani wears the director’s hat this season too.
The brand new not-to-be-missed highlight of the web-series avatar of the Sarabhais is their non-veg humour by the way.
Yes! Who would’ve imagined Maya Sarabhai cracking a joke about a friend of hers, who doesn’t believe in wearing underwear. For that matter, don’t miss the precap of episode two that comes alongside the credits.
I’m not sure how much dirty humour the Sarabhais have acquired or can carry in take 2, but it’ll surely be interesting to watch. All in all, a good comeback with the Sarabhai madness and nostalgia intact.
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