DISCLAIMER: THIS REVIEW IS LONG(OR LONGER) When Sumit Sambhal Lega(SSL) first aired on TV, many websites gave it an average rating ranging from 5 to 7 stars(out of 10). Their main gripe was: It was a remake of American TV show Everybody Loves Raymond(ELR) and did not match up to its' standards. First thing to be kept in mind while reviewing an adapted movie or TV show is that, you don't have to compare it with the original version. Instead, it has to be treated as an entirely new product.Sadly most self acclaimed professional critics on these websites failed to do so. I am not saying everyone will share my tastes, but those reviews were quick enough to discard the hard work of the crew and were continuously beating about the bush with their remake complaint. Also those reviews were given way too early(after 1 or 2 episodes) and I am writing this review after the first season has ended.Also these websites are not writing any reviews after the first season, which is common in the west.
Now coming to my review,I will only talk about SSL as I have never watched ELR neither intend to. The show may have lifted some concept from ELR, but it tweaks those things very well for the sensibilities of the Indian audience. Also a western show is adapted if it suits the situations in the Indian society and hence shows like Brooklyn Nine Nine, South Park or Game of Thrones are not adapted. In SSL, the episodes are cleverly written and the director has done a great job in creating a perfect atmosphere of a typical upper middle class joint Indian family. Added to it are the performances of the actors. The actors have done a great job in bringing their characters to life and a special mention to Namit Das and Vikram Kochar for their brilliant expressions. The show does what it promises, it makes you laugh. But it also makes you think seriously as the stories in each episode can connect to the life of every middle class Indian. The portrayal of the characters is quite realistic and every character has some grey shades. Surprisingly, it's more realistic than shows which promise to depict reality(but fail to do so). The best part of SSL is that it never takes itself too seriously and hence manages to deliver what it promises-comedy. Also by adding new characters, the show doesn't steer away from its plot. Instead it gives more meaningful turn to the show's premise.
I wouldn't say that this show is entirely perfect because some episodes had extreme situations in their plot for comedy(every comedy show does it and it's not bad, but realism is lost, but laughter is delivered and that's what matters). Also, I can safely say that out of 108 episodes, 90 were good, 10 exceptional and 8 average. Which is a great feat for a show with this many episodes and considering western shows air max 30 episodes per season and sometimes even 15 of them are not god enough. The background music is also good and it perfectly suits the theme. Talking about the competition, I can say that SSL is way ahead of most(not all as I will talk only about the shows I see or have seen) of its competitors which include shows like Bhabhiji Ghar Pe Hain(BJGPH, which provided you with many ROFL moments, but the plot is bizarre and way over the top, Tarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashma(TMKOC), which was decent but got boring after a while. I also found it to be better than the classic Indian show Sarabhai V/S Sarabhai(which I watched after SSL and didn't found it to be a relevant). If you are looking for a sensible comedy, I would highly recommend SSL. Also the makers have taken a break for the second season which would ensure that the plot and the premise doesn't get stale. The first season has now ended and Star Plus wouldn't air it, so you can watch it on hot star app.
