JD Majethia on initial failure and subsequent success of Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, “India is a country of mediocre people, especially in TV viewing”

‘Sarabhai vs Sarabhai’ is hailed as one of the most iconic shows of the mid-2000s on Indian television. It is celebrated for its humor and satirical take on family dynamics. In a recent interview with Siddharth Kannan on his YouTube channel, the show’s producer, JD Majethia, discussed why the sitcom initially flopped. attributing it to the “middle-class mentality” of Indian audiences.

JD Majethia on Sarabhai vs Sarabhai initial failure

Reflecting on the early struggles of ‘Sarabhai vs Sarabhai’, Majethia explained, “There is a lot to learn there. India is a country of mediocre people, especially in TV viewing. Mediocre as in, main bura nahi bol raha hu, I mean that they don’t expect some super intelligent cinema in life, they just want some light-hearted stuff, the middle-class mentality of, ‘I have come back home after a long day, just give me something feel good to watch or drama for women.’ They don’t want to use their brains a lot. Now, in this scenario, comes this comedy which has an excellent writing by Aatish Kapadia.

He further continued, “It was important to have the knowledge of vocabulary (to enjoy it). Also, it would air every Monday, so the habit couldn’t get established. Those who would watch the show would love it. There was not much scope for repeat viewing in those days, so they’d have to wait for the next Monday to watch the new episode.”

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JD Majethia on success of Sarabhai vs Sarabhai

Majethia further added, “By then YouTube had come and was gaining prominence. It was there where people actually discovered the show. The listing of best comedy shows watched across India would have Khichdi and Sarabhai on top of Friends and other American shows! The show didn’t work in the first season, but till today is rated as one of the best comedy shows of India. I am very happy with its journey.”

Sarabhai vs Sarabhai originally aired on Life Ok and is now available on YouTube. It featured a stellar cast including Satish Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Sumeet Raghavan, Rupali Ganguly, and Rajesh Kumar. Majethia, also known as Jamnadas Majethia, is renowned for his contributions to Gujarati and Hindi plays, dramas, serials, and movies.

Besides producing, he is an accomplished actor and director. He is known for his roles in television series like Chanakya, Khichdi, Instant Khichdi, Sarabhai vs Sarabhai Take 2, and Khichdi Returns. He also produced and acted in movies such as Khichdi and Khichdi Returns: Mission Paanthukistan.

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Satish Shah reveals Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai co-star Rupali Ganguly joined Anupamaa on one unique condition