Zee TV’s new show Bhootu seems to be a really different offering. The interaction between a young woman (Sana Amin Sheikh) who hates kids and a very cute ghost kid Pihu keep us amused. This Esselvision Production is a remake of the hit Zee Bengali show by the same name.
Child actor Arshiya Mukherjee, who plays Pihu, is sure to bring smile on all faces. Indeed emotional it was to see the sequence where she comes to know that she is a ghost!! Our hearts cried out. At the same time, her innocent and fun banter with Bal Gopal (Viraaj Kapoor) about ghosts not having any work, was one of the best scenes so far according to us. The scene which depicts her fear that her huge mansion like house is haunted by ghost when she was one herself will move even the stern-hearted. Last but not the least Gopal’s statement that God can’t be held responsible for human failings was another very impactful scene.
Will Sana’s character who alone can hear and see Pihu, fulfill her dream of meeting her mother. Guess even Gopal will play his magic here as well.
Akanksha Chamola has done a good job of playing a devoted and now grieving mother Anindita Bose. Interestingly the first 2 episodes hardy had any mention of Pihu’s father (Sameer Sharma). Guess TV is purely a woman’s domain and male characters hardly have anything to do.
Sana last seen in Naamkaran is lucky to have got a different character beyond the saas- bahu domain. It is a challenge for she will surely have to play her anger towards Pihu in a subtle manner, for it has to look very funny yet stern. Will we see streak of Sridevi in Mr. India in her? The dialogues, script and storytelling is impactful and engaging. When doyen Raghuvir Sekhawat is leading it, one can expect finesse and fine credible touch. Kudos.
How will this show fare on the ratings meter, only time will tell but from what we have seen so far it is good and should get traction of both adults and kids. Hence in this scenario, the early evening 6.30 pm time slot should certainly help matters.
All those who have watched the original Bengali show have high hopes from its Hindi avatar as well. The creative team has smartly retained both Bengali and Uttar Pradesh Hindi (usage of Hum) to have a blend of two great cultures.
The only possible fly in the ointment is ratings!! If they don’t come, will the creative resort to other gimmicks to bring in numbers, thereby spoiling the essence.
As of now, Bhootu is a sweet show and deserves a watch. This is what we call good programming. Bhootu is a show with a soul, emotions and of course, performances add to the overall connect.
IndianWikiMedia would rate 3.5 out of 5 stars to the initiative.