Way before the Comedy Nights with Kapil and Comedy Circus got big, there were shows that had already taken the comedy genre to unmatched heights. As a matter of fact, those shows were so relatable and funny that the legacy they left just can’t be replaced by any other show. So, today we share 10 Indian comedy shows that infused within us the liking for comedy.
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Dekh Bhai Dekh
Produced by Jaya Bachchan, Diwan family made our dinner times better. With the characters so relatable played by the entertainers like Shekhar Suman, Farida Jalal, Naveen Nichol who often found themselves in a soup, creating nothing but laughter for us.
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Zabaan Sambhalke
Pankaj Kapoor’s impeccable dialogue delivery as a Hindi teacher, students from different states, hilarious twists and impeachable acting of all the characters is what was liked by the Indian audience.
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Tu Tu Main Main
This was a saas bahu serial unlike the extremely melodramatic ones served to us today. It was a sitcom directed by Sachin Pilgaonkar. Tu Tu Main Main was a comedy based on the relationship a mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law share within a typical middle-class household.
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Shrimaan Shrimati
Shriman Shrimati had some memorable characters – the actress Prema Shalini and husband Dilruba, the neighbours Keshav and Kokila Kulkarni who covet other’s wife. Both of them making use of every opportunity to chance upon each other’s wives in a hilarious way, but every time their efforts go in vain.
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Hum Paanch
Anand Mathur – the father of five crazy daughters who always used to get into trouble because of them. His dead wife who pestered him from the photo on the wall and his second wife who always sided with his daughters made the situation undeniably tough for him but fun for us.
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Movers and Shakers
In the late 90s, Shekhar Suman’s chat show Movers & Shakers was a runaway hit with a good mix of comedy, satire and celebrity guests that entertained viewers. It wouldn’t be wrong to call it the Kapil Sharma show of the 90s.
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Flop Show
Jaspal Bhatti’s Flop Show was contrary to its name, a hit show packed with satire on the socio-cultural problems faced by the common man.
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Office Office
Office Office was another gem acted in by Pankaj Kapoor. It was a hilarious yet true take on the sarkaari attitude of government employees. While poor Mussadilal had run pillar to post to get his work done, the government officers weren’t reluctant to ask for favours. The show being so relatable often left us in splits.
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The Great Indian Comedy Show
A pioneer of stand-up comedy scene in India, the Great Indian Comedy Show had actors like Ranvir Shorey, Vinay Pathak, Gaurav Gera, Suresh Menon and Raju Srivastav who made us laugh with their anecdotes.
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Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai
The list is incomplete without this one. Though it came much after the others but made a safe place in our hearts like the rest. Rosesh’s poems and Monisha’s middle class take on everything, Maya’s sarcasm and Indravadan’s quirky comments, Sahil’s feeling of being held captive and Dushyant’s enthusiasm to repair things was just too hilarious.