Bitter-sweet

Based on noted writer Shahbuddin Rathods literary works,Papad Pol is a bitter sweet,tragi-comic tale of Vinay and his family...

Papad Pol
SAB TV, Monday-Thursday,8 pm
If Laagi Tujhse Lagan had the female protagonist smearing ash on her body to avoid the male gaze,Papad Pol has Vinay bhai played sportingly by Swapnil Joshi as the black as coal bachelor at 35 who has been rejected thank God,its a man rejected for a change on TV by 120 girls for obvious reasons.

Based on noted writer Shahbuddin Rathods literary works,Papad Pol is a bitter sweet,tragi-comic tale of Vinay and his family and friends endeavour to get him married off. Each character is an oddball here. While someone is called a dukhi aatma because she has a frown on her face even when her daughter tops the class or her brother gets a job,there is Vinays father,an ideal type who doles out gyaan at the slightest pretext,trying hard to not get angry lest his calm demeanour gives away. Then there is Vinays mother who happily forces the women in her neighbourhood to help her with the household chores guess,because Vinay hasnt got her a bahu yet even while believing that her son is the most handsome boy on the planet. She even tries to put a nazar ka tika on him,which obviously cant be spotted ! and even believes he turned out dark because she forgot to put the tika once and kisiki buri nazar pad gayee!

SAB has increasingly been relying on literary works to make their shows funny. While some have worked Lapataganj,others like this do bring on the smiles,albeit intermittently. Some situations are quite funnylike when Vinay is going with his bhai and bhabhi to check out a girl,holding sticks to ward off stray dogs,when suddenly Vinay breaks into a dandiya dance with the bhabhi! The dialogues are occasionally funnylike when one of the men tells his wife,I asked you to exaggerate nice things about Vinay to theladkiwalasbut that doesnt mean you go overboard and say that Vinay is 150 years old when he is just 35.

The show though not the ha ha variety is still good time pass simply because of these characters. It also takes a sharp but witty look at how people place importance to looks over inherent goodness.
Swapnil as Vinay is an eyesore but manages to make his character endearing to an extent though we wish he stopped ODing on the Ararara accent. He also seems to have been inspired by JD Majethias character in Instant Khichdi. The rest of the cast are an over enthusiastic bunch. Some grate on your nerves,while others are likeable the father,the kundali baba or the dukhi aatma.
All said and done,Papad Pol is the perfect cup of tea for those whose sense of humour matches that of Vinay and gangs.
Verdict:
Funny but just about.