Giggle on mute

Gutur Gu is about the Kumars,their personal foibles and their daily adventures. The protagonist is Balu Kumar,a simple guy who seems to be modelled loosely on Charlie Chaplin,with his ankle-revealing pants and general Mr Sunshine attitude. (It’s obvious that Chaplin was an inspiration for the show—the theme song features the characters brandishing the silent movie star/filmmaker’s trademark bowler hat and walking stick.) Balu lives with his loving wife Smita,long-suffering mother Babita,ex-military father Jay and resident cook,Pappu Maharaj.

Who’s in it? Sunil Grover plays the goofy Balu,with Sheetal Maulik as Smita. Comedy veteran Bhavna Balsawar is Babita,with Jaidutt Vyas as the stern and moustachioed Lt. Col. Jay Kumar. The show also features Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii’s Nayan Bhatt as the deaf Dadi and KK Goswami as the diminutive chef with big dreams. The non-family cast includes Daya Shetty as Harpreet Singh,the intellectually-challenged wrestler,and Jai Thakker as Cheeku,Harpreet’s annoying son.

What’s hot? There’s much to like about this show. It’s funny without being over the top and without resorting to too many physical gags. The obvious homage to Charlie Chaplin will please many who miss the glorious silent comedy era. At no point does one feel the lack of dialogues—the pace is fast (it’s even filmed in the slightly jerky manner of silent films) and the editing is tight. All the actors manage to convey the right emotion,purely through facial expressions.

What’s not? The flipside of doing a silent comedy is that the makers often resort to using stock sound effects,much to the detriment of an otherwise well-produced show. Especially annoying,or rather scary,is the sound of a child’s laughter. With its electronically distorted,child-on-caffeine effect,it sounds more like something out of The Poltergeist.

Should you be watching it? It’s fun and it doesn’t take too much of your time. Watch it to unwind after the work week.