Ba Bahu aur Baby!

Ba with her Bahus

As the title seems to imply, the show is about a matriarch who has woven the matrix of her family single handedly. Despite ruling over her empire with an iron hand, Ba has a heart of gold. Sarita Joshi, who plays Ba looks stern yet managing to exude a warmth that comes with the confidence of being a seasoned actress. It helps that among the cast she has with her fellow theatre hands who both respect and admire her. Her screen presence is awesome and that the other actors on the show are in awe of her is obvious even onscreen -- and this perhaps augurs well for the show that needs her to hold her own throughout.

What is most amazing about the show is the importance given to details. Imagine a family

Sarita Joshi with Rajeev Mehta

sitting down for their breakfast and having a serious discussion over monetary issues, while Gattu, the mentally challenged child-adult played brilliantly by Deven Bhojani, incessantly crying out that he needs another dosa! His is a world far away from the travails of the adults and that air of 'I don't care what you all are up to' has been extremely well brought out by writer, Aatish Kapadia.

It is the brilliance of the script that has brought out such well etched characters that one can immediately identify with them. Be it the slow, dim-wit bahu, the bahu who is obsessed with her looks or the children of the household, all of them seem to be cut out from our own lives.

Benaf: the 'Baby' of the house

There are actors, whom we would expect to throw a funny line every time they open their mouths, mouthing dialogues that have the opposite effect ---quiet a task, given the stereotyping that is so rampant in the industry today. Rajeev Mehta (Praful of Instant Khichadi) is a case in point. He plays the angry, brooding eldest son, who hates his father and moves around the house with an angry disposition -- quiet unlike Praful whom we have come to love.
One other thing that makes B3 watchable is the humanness of the characters. While they are obviously 'bigger' than life they are not by any means 'larger'. No heavy makeup and jewelry, no sarees that dazzle your eyes and above everything else, no melodrama. There is a scene in the first episode that will bring tears to your eyes -- but it has been executed with such subtlety that you will hold the tears and deny them a free fall!

There are surprise packages in the show. Benaf, as Baby looks promising and so does Rajesh Kumar as Subodh, one of the brothers. But Deven's performance is a show stealer…he is just too good. Credit must also go to all these actors who seem to have gelled very well. Hats off to JD and Aatish for coming up with such brilliant casting.
But again these are early days. Placed strategically by Star behind KBC2, B3 should have a good opening, but it has to hold its own in due time, otherwise there is always the threat of the remote control…or it could end up being the much needed dinner break after the power packed performance of Big B.

Another Gujju family is all set to take on the most coveted slot on Star Plus from 5 August.

Hats Off Production's show, Ba, Bahu aur Baby will be aired on the channel at 10 pm just after KBC II and will be followed by Kyunki.... , say sources.

Our sources tell us that the show will be a tri-weekly and logically that means it is going to be aired on the weekends. This is a move perhaps to strengthen the weekends which, compared to the high voltage programming during the week, do not have much to hold up the ratings.

"It is not a comedy serial, as you might think. It offers a slice of life, it has drama and all the

events are closer to life. People will be able to identify with it because the characters are very real," says a visibly excited producer, JD Majethia.

Hats Off Productions which seemed to be specialising in the comic genre has come up with this drama that promises to break stereotypes. "Certain actors have unfortunately been typecast in this industry, we try and break these mould. We have taken on 25 actors after a lot of considerations. We waited a long time to get them right. Our actors are our USP, we didn't want to mess with that," says JD, who has made winner choices in both Sarabahai vs Sarabhai and Instant Khichadi, both shows that have reinvented the comic genre on television.

The show stars eminent theatre personalities like Sarita Joshi, who will essay Ba's character.

The story is about a Gujarati joint family, with five daughters-in law, and their trials and tribulations. Rajesh Kumar, who plays Rosesh in Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, will play Subodh in B3, one of the brothers in the family. "I play this emotional guy who is a theatre personality and is the Krishna of the family. He is a very neutral character and is completely in love with his wife," says Rajesh, who points out that the character is very different from Rosesh. The set that has been setup in Goregaon East is huge and supposedly it looks exactly like a magnificent house.

When quizzed about the show sometime back, the other partner in Hats Off..., writer Aatish

Kapadia had pointed out that the show was "different". "You know, we don't have people wearing dark suits in summers...it has to be real," says Aatish.

This is a show to look out for. After Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka on Sony, this is Hats Off's other drama that looks very promising!




This is what the cast looks like.....

	Sarita Joshi: She is a very popular Gujarati theatre personality. Remember the old, friendly prostitute in Nazar? Sarita's performance in that bit role was brilliant. Here, she plays Ba.
	JD Majethia: He has been part of Gujarati theatre for more than a decade. He plays Himanshu in Instant Khichadi. He is also the same guy who won the ABCL Productions' Star Trek contest a while ago. He now is part of Hats Off Productions along with Aatish Kapadia.
	Deven Bhojani: He is the man who directs both Instant Khichadi and Sarabhai vs Sarabhai (where he plays a character) on Star One. He was also a part of Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka.
	Rajeev Mehta: Plays the lovable Prafull in Instant...and was a part of Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka. He is an actor who makes the stage come alive with his acting prowess and his antics on screen have made him the most popular comic character on telly today.
	Rajesh Kumar: He plays Rosesh in Sarabhai... He was also part of Kkusum and Ek Mahal...He is the surprise package in the cast...but his superb performance in Sarabhai...must have had an impact!