Gangs of Hassepur
Zee TV
Saturday-Sunday 8 pm
Rating: ***
With the wave of comedy shows on TV, some funny, some not-so-funny, we were curious to know what Gangs of Hasseepur, the election-specific show had in store. And, we must say, some segments of the quirky show will definitely have you ROFL (Rolling on the floor with laughter), which is no mean feat!
What is it about: A variety entertainment show it has stand-up comedy, gags, debates and spoofs on popular celebrities.
What works: The show's novelty is its first USP. Also, the mix of known and unknown actors pulling off the gags makes it interesting. Suresh Menon who is impersonating Arnab Goswami as Hardam is hilarious. He conducts a debate Sawaal Pe Bawaal with celebrities from different fields on seemingly important issues like 'Why isn't Salman Khan getting married' or 'Is it right for Neil Nitin Mukesh to have three names, especially when the country is facing an inflation'? The panelists comprise imposters of the likes of Narendra Modi, Aamir Khan, Sanjay Dutt, L K Advani, Sharad Pawar and Lata Mangeshkar. The actor (Sanket Bhosle) who spoofs Sanjay Dutt is bang-on and has the viewers in splits everytime he starts saying Honourable Supreme Court Judge, I love my country... Then there's the segment Khan Ka Farmaan which has Salman Khan's impersonater inviting a guest and tackling a topical issue ranging from rising onion prices to the pathetic railway conditions. Comedian Bharti Singh is often the guest and she is in top form in different avatars. The fake Salman does not exactly look like the superstar but the style of speaking, dance and attitude are Dabangg! As for the stand-up comedy, it is solely dependent on the artiste and can go either ways.
What does not work: Some of the jokes are not original as they have already done the rounds on Whats App! For instance, the one about the slogan on ticketless travel or the Rajiv Gandhi yojna in connection with Dhoom series in connection with Uday Chopra. Among the performers, Raju Shrivastav as chacha 67 is over-the-top and needs to tone down his act. He also plays various characters, but only a few manage to interest you. Mandira Bedi and Tanishaa Mukherji do not add any value to the show except lending glamour. But, this show could have done without that!
Verdict: If you are looking for a stress-buster go for it.
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