After Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai, another popular yesteryear serial is making a comeback as a web series. Zabaan Sambhalke, which starred Pankaj Kapur, Viju Khote, Shubha Khote and Tom Alter among others is being remade with a fresh cast and will be streamed on Ekta Kapoor’s digital platform. The 10-episode series will be directed by Rajiv Mehra who helmed the original serial, too.
Aired 20 years ago, Zabaan Sambhalke had become a cult show thanks to the stellar performances of the actors. “Yes, that’s the challenge. So far, we have finalised Sumeet Raghavan to play the role of the teacher (originally essayed by Kapur), while Shoma Anand will be the principal. We are still casting for the other seven-eight roles,” says Rajiv.
Ask him why he is making a web series instead of a TV show and he says, “Web series is the flavour right now. Also, it allows us slightly more freedom to do things, which can be a little more naughty, fresh, and without stereotypes. The format of the show will largely remain the same, but the characters will be new and tweaked as per today’s times. It will be fresh for the new generation who might have heard about it but not seen it.”
Inspired by the hit international show Mind Your Language, Zabaan Sambhalke had a motley of students from different parts of India going to a school to learn Hindi. The peculiar accents each one carried — be it a South Indian, a Sardar, etc, — made it a hilarious show. “This time we will be adding a few more characters, like a Haryanvi guy, a North-East Indian girl, a Maharashtrian from Koli background, a Bhojpuri starlet and an NRI girl from the US,” shares Rajiv.
Bakhtyar M Irani will be playing a Parsi in the series. Interestingly, his wife Tanaaz had played an Anglo-Indian in the original serial. He says, “She is more excited than me about the series. It was one of my top-listed serials then. I enjoyed it and it had some great performances. I was called for an audition last October to play either an Arab or Parsi, but I mimicked the latter well. Last month, when I was in London, I got a call saying that the series is on. For me the medium doesn’t matter, I just loved the script.”
The makers plan to start shooting in August after finalising the cast.
