Sarabhai vs Sarabhai gets a Pakistani remake, writer Aatish Kapadia says it’s a ‘blatant copy’

Sarabhai vs Sarabhai launched in 2004 and successfully aired for two years on Star One. (Photo: Star Network)

Sarabhai vs Sarabhai is a cult television show and a success story that not many sitcoms have managed to achieve. Trying to recreate its magic, a Pakistani show has made a blatant copy of the Star Network series. This has left Sarabhai writer Aatish Kapadia amused.

In a long note posted on Facebook on Monday, the writer shared that he got to know about the “unofficial remake” of Sarabhai vs Sarabhai when he was sent a forwarded video link.

Sharing that he cringed seeing the actors perform his words so badly, what shocked Kapadia was that the show has been “shamelessly” put on a free video streaming platform. The writer added that while it’s understandable to be inspired, the daylight robbery is appalling. He also requested all his friends to not give the show any view in case they come across it.

“So much for copyright! And I don’t mean the technical copyright. I mean the shameful lack of conscience that those thieves displayed while lifting the show , lock stock and barrel! Waiting for poetic justice, if there’s any,” concluded Aatish Kapadia, adding that while “imitation is the best form of flattery, lack of permission before illegal imitation is amorality.”

Read Aatish Kapadia’s long note here:

Morning began with a forwarded video link. I opened it and saw a ‘word to word’ ‘frame to frame’ unofficial remake of our show ‘Sarabhai vs Sarabhai’. By someone from our not so amicable neighbours, to our west.

It has been shamelessly put on a free video streaming platform and the actors have performed my written word so badly, (they’ve even added their own pedestrian bit) that I cringed!

I mean getting inspired and having made a show on the lines of Sarabhai vs Sarabhai is understandable. Khichdi had inspired many makers to come up with a show on the lines of Khichdi. The problem of course was that they didn’t understand the logic behind creating those illogical people. Similarly, inspired versions of Sarabhai have got it wrong, because they thought it was a show only about class conflict; which was just one aspect of it. Written by using inversion as a tool.

But this blatant copy!??? My god it’s appalling. My request to my friends is to NOT give that show ‘views’ , by chance you come across that daylight robbery.

So much for copyright! And I don’t mean the technical copyright. I mean the shameful lack of conscience that those thieves displayed while lifting the show , lock stock and barrel!

Waiting for poetic justice, if there’s any. 

P.s imitation is the best form of flattery. But lack of permission before illegal imitation is amorality.

Aatish Kapadia further told indianexpress.com that he did not want to name the show as he doesn’t want to give it any publicity. He added that his point was not just about him but it could be anyone’s writing. “It’s about straight lifting and then putting it on a free platform to watch,” he added.