Sumit and his wife Maya with their two kids are living a good life in Delhi.
Star Plus
Monday - Saturday, 10 pm
Rating: **
Much-hyped as the official adaptation of the hit international series Everybody Loves Raymond, Sumit Sambhal Lega had everything going for it, a ready-made premise, characters and the plot. They even had the original writer of the series, Steve Scrovan oversee creative process of the adaptation. Despite that, the makers have failed to bring the humour, the punch lines and the spunk of the original show.
What it is about: Sumit and his wife Maya with their two kids are living a good life in Delhi. She is a homemaker while he is a sportswriter, who is carefree and shies away from responsibility. His overbearing parents and his slightly weird elder brother stay in the same building, just one floor below them. They keep barging into Sumit's house at will, which doesn't go down well with Maya. Sumit walks the tightrope finding the balance between his mother and wife and keeping everyone happy.
What is hot: If you have seen the original Raymond, it will be difficult to find anything hot in the desi show. But if you haven't then you'll find this slice-of-life drama different from the typical saas-bahu sagas on air. This is a light-hearted and breezy comedy laced with a subtle message that does touch a chord at times. Like the episode where the six-year-old daughter Alia is shown throwing tantrums and her school teacher helps Sumit and Maya deal with it. Or the one where Sumit tells his dad how he has failed in his duty as a father and the latter accepts it with humility.
What is not: Frankly, it would have been better if it wasn't an official adaptation of Raymond. From the casting to the writing, the series is a complete letdown. Namit Das as Sumit comes across more as a whiny wimp than Ray Romano's Raymond, who was more spunky and entertaining. Mansi Parekh, who steps into Patirica Heaton's shoes is adequate, but not as funny as the latter was. The otherwise talented Bharti Achrekar who plays Dolly Walia is over-the-top (her boy cut and loud make-up add to it). Satish Kaushik as Jasbir Walia delivers a good performance as the obese and always hungry father while Vikram Kocchar as Sumit's elder brother is annoying and thankfully doesn't have much to do. Brad Garett who played the role in the original series sported a deadpan expression but delivered the punch lines with panache. For any comedy to work, it needs smart writing and sharp acting. The humour in Everybody Loves Raymond comes from the witty dialogue and the one-liners, which is missing in Sumit. Frankly, even our desi originals like Khichdi and Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai were funnier than Sumit Sambhal Lega.
Verdict: Don't expect it to be an Everybody Loves Raymond and you won't be disappointed.
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