Sajan Re Jhooth Mat Bolo season one is a cult series. Bringing back a classic to repaint a new story always calls for heightened critic scrutiny.
Expectation was high and after watching the first episode of Sajan Re Phir Jhoot Mat Bolo, disappointment set it.
Instead of doling out a tacit review, we chose patience, decided to watch a couple of more episodes to set out the verdict. And we must say, the plot finds inspiration in comic nuggets and potent performances. It flexes its might from the third episode.
The situational non vulgar jokes where the protagonist tries to hide the truth from his girl’s father are spot on. Guess it took the makers (Optimystix Entertainment) a few episodes to craft the required background.
We hope that the plot and humour in the coming episodes will be fresh and not rehashed from the past
Lead actor Hussain Kuwajerwala does not look a 21/22 year old odd guy (Jaiveer Chopra) by any stretch of imagination. May be the creatives wanted a known face to pull in the initial audiences. Having said that, his dead pan facial expressions are tossed in comic flavours. Hussain is new to comedy and his virgin stint is pretty impressive.
Hussain has a tough job to walk into the shoes of the talented Sumeet Raghavan, who played the protagonist in the original. It is interesting to note that a talented actor, who had earlier done big fiction and nonfiction shows (Kumkum and Nach Baliye respectively) choosing a relatively smaller platform to stage a comeback. Hussain’s act as a poor guy in the opening episode did not cut much ice, he will need to up his game.
Moving on, character Jaya’s role is yet to find its performance peak, hence we will reserve our thoughts for the later day pertaining to the histrionic abilities of Parvati Vaze. Even she will not find the going easy being constantly compared to Ami Trivedi’s efforts in the original.
Hussain’s dead pan facial expressions are tossed in comic flavours. He is new to comedy and his virgin stint is pretty impressive
Tiku Talsania is a veteran comedian (been part of India’s first sitcom Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi). He essays the role of Paramveer Chopra, the rich cool father of Jaiveer who will go to any length to bring a smile on his son’s face. Here, it would be fun to observe how he would take part in the charade (shift in pendulum) as in the earlier season he was the one from whose eye the wool was pulled over.
The characterization of the austere and rich people hater, Jaya’s father Lalitrao Lonkhande (played by Sharad Ponkshe), who Jaiveer tries to fool as being a poor guy, is well etched out.
Jaiveer’s all weather buddy Deepak Tijori will be an important part of most stories. Played by Gaurav Dubey, his demeanour seems overtly pretentious, but that could be the need of the script. The comic canvas is completed by Chopra’s family friend Monica Malpani (Rakhi Vijan, Hum Paanch fame), who has a certain affinity towards Paramveer. Hope her role has fun quotient lest her talent goes waste.
We hope that the plot and humour in the coming episodes will be fresh and not rehashed from the past as that would alone determine success or failure of the effort. Making a sequel has both advantages and disadvantage, the plus is that that you have set a set story to follow, the challenge stems from the fact that the likes and dislikes of the audiences are very fickle and five years is a long time in the entertainment world.
Indianwikimedia would rate the show 3 out of 5. Do check it out for old time’s sake.
Sajan Re Phir Jhoot Mat Bolo airs on SAB TV.
