From FIR to Bhabiji: Sanjay and Binaiferr Kohli on Their Journey of Creating Laughter
Not only their lead actors but also their supporting cast and technicians have stayed with producers Sanjay and Binaiferr Kohli for years. The producer duo of Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai and Happu Ki Ultan Paltan ensures they retain as many talented artists and workers as possible.
“Our artists have been working with us for the past 17 years. We often repeat our artists from one serial to another because comedy is not easy, and you need good-natured people. All our artists have impeccable comic timing. Shubhangi Atre has been working with us for eight years, and she has been doing a fantastic job. I cannot praise Aasif Sheikh and Rohitashv Gour enough. We believe that Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai has truly been blessed by God. For example, we cast Yogesh Tripathi for just one episode, but he has been with us ever since. His performance was outstanding, and even though he spoke with a Bundeli accent, the entire series took off from there and has been running for the past five years,” they say.
Binaiferr adds, “Himani Shivpuri Ji is also part of the show. Then we have Sumit Arora from Chidiya Ghar—he's a superb actor. We’re keeping the shows running with good vibes. In a comedy serial, all the actors need to have a great bond with each other. Aasif Sheikh and Rohitashv Gour share an incredible bond, which reflects in their performances.”
Talking about their past successful show Jijaji Chhat Par Hai, she says, “Hiba Nawab was part of the show. She’s like a daughter to me. Actors who come from the world of theatre are incredibly disciplined. They don’t take long to get into character. In Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai, Aasif Sheikh has played multiple roles—joker, woman, European woman, tailor, kabaddi player, and many others. He’s done 360-degree characters. Every time, he changes his tone and mannerisms to suit the role. In the show, Angoori is a bit naive, so it’s easier to fool her, which is why Aasif keeps playing these different roles, making Angoori appear naive. On the other hand, it’s not as easy to make Gori Ma’am look foolish! Saumya was a dream to work with.”
As far as technicians go, they say they've had the best ones for years. “All my technicians are very close to our heart. Many of them have been with us for 20 to 30 years. We’ve been working in the TV industry for 32 years. Our cameraman Raja Dada has been with us since our very first serial, which means he has been with us for 32 years, ever since Zee TV started. Our director Shashank Bali worked as an assistant director on our Star Plus serial Shaadi Number One. Later, we made him the director of F.I.R. Shashank Bali was an assistant to the famous comedy director Rajan Waghdhare. Sameer Kulkarni, who also worked as an assistant to Rajan Waghdhare, directed Family Number One. After F.I.R., Shashank Bali has practically become Sanjay Ji's younger brother. He directs all our serials now. Shashank's assistants Harshada and Ritwik are now also directing our serials."
She adds, “Raghuvir Sheikhawat, who came from Jaipur as a young boy, wrote Family Number One for us. At that time, he was very young and cute. Now, for the past five years, he has been writing Happu Ki Ultan Paltan. Then Manoj Shantoshi Ji joined us. I haven’t seen a comedy writer like Manoj Shantoshi in the TV industry. He’s like a child in our team—very innocent. He often gets sick and is very emotional. Compared to Sanjay Ji, I am a little strict, but any technician can call me even at 1 a.m., and I immediately go to them because they are my ‘working family.’"
“Our art director Arup is very special as well. I must talk about my art director, Arup. When I went to look for locations for Family Number One, I saw him working as an assistant at Sunpit Bungalow, where he was setting up kites and decorations. I liked the way he spoke. I took his number and promised him I would make him the art director of my next serial. I invited him to my new serial, guided him a little, and made him the art director. My background in advertising helped with this decision. Now, he’s a very senior art director. Shashank's assistant Ritwik is now directing Happu Ki Ultan Paltan. Raja Dada’s assistant is now the cameraman for May I Come in Madam? All my technicians are amazing. Occasionally, a few people might not turn out to be the best. Some say, ‘One bad fish spoils the whole pond,’ but my experience says that if the pond is good, the bad fish gets isolated. In the beginning, people may get influenced by the bad fish, but soon they realize the truth and distance themselves from it.”