This new show from TVF is a slice-of-life show and a brilliant one at that. Yeh Meri Family is centered around Harshu and his world. Harshu is like any other 12 years old. He wants to have fun in his holidays, read comics, get up late and not have a bath every day. The big differentiator for the show is it is set in the 90s. Due to this, the show brings forth some amazing moments filled with nostalgia. I could describe the show by saying this is creator Sameer Saxena’s love letter to the 90s, but I won’t.
For me, this is the 90's version of the iconic ‘Swamy and Friends’ from Malgudi Days. If the larger audiences also feel that, I don’t think there could be a bigger compliment than that for Yeh Meri Family.
I am a complete sucker for great first sequences and Sameer Saxena & Co. couldn’t have chosen a better start for a show set in the 90's. It starts in 1998, the morning after the ‘Sharjah Sandstorm’. Cricket lovers may be able to guess that I am not referring to an actual sandstorm (even though there was one). This start will immediately grab your attention and set the context in an instant. There are plenty of other moments that come up just in time and put a smile on your face. Almost like a rotating table fan that turns back towards you just when you start feeling hot. That feeling of nice breeze hitting your face on a hot summer day is how this show made me feel.
I loved the art direction as well. Without that, a show like this will never feel convincing. Raj Comics are plastered all over from Super Commando Dhruv’s ‘Pratishod Ki Jwala’ to posters of ‘Doga’. A den under the bed, the prominence of a cordless phone, birthday party at home and countless other things suck you into this fascinating world created by the team.
There was a sense of purity and honesty about that time. No mobile phones, no social media and the sheer joy of simple things in life.
Kids from that time behaved like....kids. They were happy reading comics, playing 8-bit video games, eating mangoes, and doing FLAMES. Honestly, there is so much of 90's nostalgia here that I could write a complete article just on that.
Even though I have gone on and on about the feel of the 90s, the biggest heroes of the show are the writing and the direction. The writing is so delicate and beautiful that it tears you up as it makes you smile. The sequence where Harshu describes Summer season as a festival, the episode '12th Man' are places where I had tears of joy. The analogies of Mario-Monopoly, Moon-Asteroid, and even Two Bulls further showcase the high-class art on display. One of my favorite lines is from the episode 'Vish Amrit' where Harshu says "Aaj Doga hoon tab toh koi pooch nahin raha, Kal Suppandi ho jaunga tab kaun poochega". I just cracked up at the line and the fantastic delivery. The direction is equally good and Sameer Saxena does an outstanding job as the director of the show. He understands the era and the essence of the characters exceptionally well. That is why he is able to create so many little moments that stay with you long after the episode is over.
Harshu trying to say something to Vidya and not being able to and the scene getting over with the shot of the moon...the use of 'Mile Sur Mera Tumhara' and its timing...and many more.
It is not easy to create such moments and Sameer Saxena achieves extraordinary heights with this show. My favorite episodes are 'The 12th Man' & 'Chupan Chupai'. Sameer is ably supported by an extremely talented cast led by Mona Singh. She is spot-on as the middle-class mom who is always putting out fires in managing the house and raising the kids. Akarsh Khurana who plays Papa is the perfect foil to Mona Singh. He is light-hearted, considerate and forgetful. The young stars of the show, Vishesh Bansal (Harshu) and Prasad Reddy (Shanky) bring the house down with their camaraderie and fabulous delivery of some brilliant lines.
A great thing about this show is its repeat value. I can watch it all over again without getting bored and this is a big deal. Apart from Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, I don't recall an Indian show which had such high repeat viewing possibility. Before I start off again about the countless memorable things in Yeh Meri Family, I suggest you watch it for yourselves and fall in love with this beautiful little show. Hats off to TVF and the team behind Yeh Meri Family. Thank you for creating this gem.