Khichdi (franchise)

Khichdi franchise
Theatrical release poster of the film.
Creator	Hats Off Productions
Original work	Khichdi
Films and television
Films	Khichdi: The Movie
Television series	Khichdi Instant Khichdi

The Khichdi franchise is a Hindi language sitcom created by Hats Off Productions and UTV Software Communications, which debuted on STAR Plus on 10 September 2002.^[1] The series has been rerun on STAR Plus and its sister channels several times. Unlike other Hindi sitcoms, which continuously air throughout the year, Khichdi is one of the earliest shows on Indian television to adopt the Western model of appearing in seasons. The second season was called Instant Khichdi, which made its debut on STAR Plus's sister channel, STAR One. A film was made, based on the previous two TV series Khichdi and Instant Khichdi. It is the first film in the history of Hindi cinema to be based on a television series.^[2]

Television series

Khichdi (2002–2004)

Khichdi follows the story of a Gujarati family called Parekhs, who live in an old mansion. The joint family encounters many typically Indian situations, but they try to solve it in the most atypical fashion imaginable. This is a funny bunch of people that is firmly united in their movement to get separated. They want to sell their ancestral property and move out and form their own nuclear families. But the head of their family does not agree. He gives them the choice to walk out and survive on their own; but nobody is ready to let go of the money that is due to them. So they stay together and wait for the 'head' to change his mind or stop breathing, whichever happens first. And this is where the upwardly mobile middle class joint family faces its trials and tribulations. Khichdi is a look at the lighter side of an Indian joint family.

Instant Khichdi (2005–2006)

The series portrays the life of an eccentric Gujarati joint family living in Bombay. The family is led by the elderly Tulsidas Parekh and consists of his offspring, who he acquired at a local carnival. The first season, particularly the initial episodes, focus on the idiosyncratic members of the family who are only united by their desire to separate from each other. Since the patriarch does not permit them to sell off their house and separate into nuclear families, they live on hoping that he changes his mind or passes away. Eventually, they move into a much larger house left behind by a deceased aunt.

-They become overnight millionaires when they discover oil in their older property. The second season portrays humorous depictions of a bourgeois family that is trying to settle itself into higher society with their new-found wealth. They live on in their own eccentric way, trying to ace the lives of the super-rich.

The first season portrayed the trials and tribulations of a joint family and often touched an emotional cord. Later on, particularly in the second season the show started focusing more on the situational comedy, as the characters started fitting themselves into their eccentricities. Several new characters were added during the course of the show. It is largely episodic with most plots running for one or two episodes. At times it runs into subplots that last a few episodes such as the marriages of Miraben, Raju, and Himanshu. Rarely, episodes run into flashback such as the marriage of Praful and Hansa.

Film

Khichdi: The Movie (2010)

The film starts with two kids Jacky (Markand Soni) and Chakki (Kesar Majethia), narrating the story of their hilariously madcap Parekh family to their classmates on a camp. When Chandrakant Sheth (Arvind Vaidya), father of Himanshu (Jamnadas Majethia) and Hansa (Supriya Pathak) passes away, he manages to tell the Parekh family that his last wish is to have his son Himanshu married. Now, Himanshu has one ambition since childhood, that is to have a memorable, legendary love story. It is all together another matter that he is not in love with anyone and neither is he capable of getting any sensible girl to like him. But as Babuji (Anang Desai) often wisely says, "for every idiotic Praful (Rajeev Mehta), there is an even more idiotic Hansa made", his prophecy turns out to be true. Parminder (Kirti Kulhari), Himanshu's neighbour, falls in love with Himanshu for no logical reason and the 2 get engaged to get married. That is when the story line takes a turn – Himanshu realises on the eve of the wedding that the impending ceremony would mean impending doom to his desire to have a legendary love story, as nothing interesting has happened in his love story to make it memorable. It was a simple non-happening take with a boring happy ending. No resistance, no conflict, no separation, no sad song, no climax, nothing. So, to make the Himanshu–Parminder love story a legendary one, Himanshu, along with Babuji, Praful, Hansa and Jayshree (Nimisha Vakharia), sets out to stall the wedding. And then begins their journey to create all those missing stages in Himanshu's love story to make it legendary. However, in this hilariously hare brained process, they make a mess of everything and how at the incredibly ridiculous climax Himanshu eventually manages to win his love back, makes up the rest of the story of the film.

Future

After Khichdi: The Movie, makers are planning a sequel to the movie.^[3][4][5]

Cast and characters

Awards and Nominations

Khichdi has been almost continuously awarded television awards ever since its debut, including the in-house Star Parivaar Awards.

Khichdi

STAR Parivaar Awards

Winner

• 2003: Favourite Daada/Naana – Anang Desai as Tulsidas Parekh (Babuji)^[6]
• 2004: Favourite Daada/Naana – Anang Desai as Tulsidas Parekh (Babuji)^[7]
• 2004: Favourite Jethani – Supriya Pathak as Hansa

Nominated

• 2004: Favorite Chota Bachcha – Yash Mittal as Jacky^[8]
• 2004: Favorite Beta – Rajeev Mehta as Praful
• 2004: Favorite Bhai – Jamnadas Majethia as Himanshu
• 2004: Favorite Bhabhi – Supriya Pathak as Hansa
• 2004: Favorite Devar – Amit Varma as Raju
• 2004: Favorite Devraani – Vandana Pathak as Jayshree
• 2004: Favorite Sasur – Anang Desai as Tulsidas Parekh (Babuji)
• 2004: Favorite Jodi – Rajeev Mehta as Praful & Supriya Pathak as Hansa
• 2007: Favorite Bhabhi – Supriya Pathak as Hansa

Indian Television Academy Awards

Winner

• 2004: Best Actress-Comedy – Supriya Pathak as Hansa^[9]

Indian Telly Awards

Winner

• 2003: TV Actor in a Comic Role (Female) – Supriya Pathak as Hansa^[10]
• 2004: BEST Actor in a Comic Role (Male) – Rajeev Mehta as Praful^[11]
• 2004: Sitcom Writer of the Year – Aatish Kapadia^[12]

Nominated

• 2003: TV Child Artiste of the Year – Yash Mittal as Jacky^[13]
• 2004: The TV Sitcom / Comedy programme of the Year^[14]
• 2004: Lyricist of the Year – Aatish Kapadia
• 2004: Music Director of the Year – Uttank Vora
• 2004: Director of the Year (Sitcom) – Aatish Kapadia
• 2004: Child Artiste of the Year (Female) – Richa Bhadra as Chakki
• 2004: Child Artiste of the Year (Male) – Yash Mittal as Jacky
• 2004: Actor in a Comic Role (Male) – Rajeev Mehta as Praful
• 2004: Actor in a Comic Role (Male) – Anang Desai as Tulsidas Parekh
• 2004: Actor in a Comic Role (Female) – Supriya Pathak as Hansa
• 2004: Actor in a Comic Role (Female) – Vandana Pathak as Jayshree
• 2004: Ensemble (complete star cast of a programme)
• 2004: The Weekly Serial of the year
• 2004: Scriptwriter of the year – Aatish Kapadia

Instant Khichdi

Indian Telly Awards

Winner

• 2005: Best Actor in a Comic Role ( Female ) – Supriya Pathak as Hansa^[15]
• 2005: Best Child Artiste (Male) – Yash Mittal as Jacky

Nominated

• 2005: Best Sitcom / Comedy Writer – Aatish Kapadia^[16]
• 2005: Best Actor in a Comic Role (Female) – Vandana Pathak as Jayshree^[17]
• 2005: Best Actor in Comic Role (Male) – Rajeev Mehta as Praful
• 2005: Best Sitcom/Comedy Programme

Khichdi: The Movie

6th Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards

• Nominated:
  Apsara Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role – Jamnadas Majethia

2011 Zee Cine Awards

• Nominated:
  Zee Cine Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role – Jamnadas Majethia^[18]

2011 Filmfare Awards

• Nominated^[19]
  Best Actor In A Supporting Role – Female — Supriya Pathak

DVD Release

In May 2012, "The Best of Khichdi & Instant Khichdi" was released on a 10 disc DVD set.

See also

• Khichdi (TV series)
• Instant Khichdi
• Khichdi: The Movie

References

External links

• Khichdi officially uploaded Episodes
• Official Site on STAR Utsav
• Instant Khichdi official site on STAR One
• Khichdi: The Movie at the Internet Movie Database