‘Beauty of Gullak is it leaves you wanting for more’: Writer Durgesh Singh dissects the SonyLIV show

Singh’s own experiences makes a world of difference. “I draw from my experiences. Like, there is a scene in the third season where the father brings ‘kalakand’ after getting LTA. In that scene, there is a mention of Bholu ‘halwai’. Now, I know of a ‘halwai’ who used to mix sedatives in his sweets, so I drew from that. Also, with the character of Pinky mama, you have only been hearing his name from the three seasons, but still, he is a prominent character. So, my inspiration for that comes from the observation that in a household, there is a person around whom all the gossip happens without them being present.”

The makers of Gullak have managed to keep the show crisp because of its short five episodes. And, the feeling of wanting more is what Singh supposes keeps bringing back the audience. “The beauty of Gullak is probably that it makes you feel, ‘thoda aur hota toh maza aata (had there been a few more episodes, it would have been fun),” he said.

However, what is different in the third season from its previous two seasons is it has become a little subject driven, without becoming melodramatic or preachy. It talks about the importance of a housewife’s desires in a middle-class family and the significance of a girl’s say in an arranged marriage. Singh has “tried to push the envelope a little with the third season” and has explored the “grey area of a middle-class family”.

 

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“In a middle-class family, we do not talk about the sexual tension or a mother’s desires as a young woman. In the third episode of season three, the girl Furtilee represents the mother’s younger self. How was she when she was young? What were her desires before the marriage? Did she like someone or was someone in love with her? I have tried to explore that in the third episode in a subtle manner. I have tried to represent that a mother too was once a young girl with desires when she was not a mother or a wife. In the scene where the Mishra brothers cannot decide who will get the bra from the terrace as it gets drenched in the rain, I have tried to highlight things that are not discussed in a middle-class house,” Singh shared.

But, he does all this in a simple manner. He referred to a scene in the third episode (season three) where Shanti Mishra tells her husband that his friend’s daughter, Furtilee is not sure about marrying the boy her father has chosen for her. Singh said, “We belong to such deep-rooted patriarchy, that I don’t think I will be able to end it from within myself. So, we have tried to bend it a bit in the third episode when Shanti Mishra asks, ‘jab ladkon ko doubt hota hai toh koi poochta hai kya? Ladki ko bhi doubt ho sakta hai shaadi ke liye (When boys are in doubt, does anyone question them? Even a girl can have doubts about a guy).’ It is a social commentary but in a simple sentence.”

Vaibhav Raj Gupta plays Anu Mishra in Gullak 3.

While writing the show, Singh keeps in mind the aim to lighten up the mood after talking about serious issues. He cited the example of the fifth episode, “In the fifth episode, at one moment there is a health scare in the family, and at the other moment, they are discussing that there are too many oranges in the house. That is our attempt, to not give you ‘gyaan.'”

And whatever is left after a detailed script, is fulfilled by the talented actors. Singh believes his writing is “uplifted to another level” by the cast. He recalled, “There is a scene in the second season where Aman asks his mother, ‘mummy, ye aapda kya hota?’ Anu slaps him and says, ‘ye hoti hai aapda, aur ye hoti hai vipda’. At this, the father slaps Anu and says, ‘aur ye hota hai bapdaa’. This was not on paper. It was something that Jameel sir did impromptu. So, if on paper our show is at 80 per cent, the actors push it to 130 per cent.”

Now, with the third season already being a success, the team of Gullak has already started work on the fourth season. “We are thinking of experimenting with Bittoo’s father in the fourth season. We have already had a couple of discussions,” Singh revealed.