3000 not out; 'Taraak Mehta' is like Rahul Dravid, holding one end": Neeraj Vyas, Sony SAB 

'Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah' ('TMKOC') that first aired in 2008 became the second Hindi entertainment show to have more than 3000 episodes.

 Recently, 'Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah' ('TMKOC') became the second Hindi show to cross the 3,000 episode mark in India. Produced by Asit Kumarr Modi's Neela Telefilms, the sitcom airs on Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) India's SAB TV. 'Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai' airs on Star Plus and leads the way with 3,210 episodes.

'TMKOC' is a comedy show and experts in the genre feel it (crossing 3,000 episodes) is a record that will be difficult (not impossible) to break. The show came into existence after Modi discovered a weekly column by Gujarati humorist Tarak Mehta in the (Gujarati) magazine 'Chitralekha'. Modi found Mehta's column 'Duniya Ne Oondha Chashma' "immensely interesting" and thought it could be turned into a TV show.

The show is unusual in many ways. While most comedy shows air on a weekly basis, Modi and SAB TV decided to air 'TMKOC' daily. Modi says that when all other shows had a 'haveli', 'TMKOC' went for society. When suited-booted executives were playing lead roles in daily soaps, the characters in 'TMKOC' were simple, smart and relatable. And last, Modi says, when other shows focus on sorrow and conspiracy, 'TMKOC' focuses on making people smile.

Modi says that the script of 'TMKOC' was rejected many times. First Sony rejected it, followed by Zee, Star and later Disney. In 2007, Modi got a call from NP Singh, who was then chief operating officer of Multi Screen Media (MSM). (Singh is now CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India.) When Modi was asked to make a show for SAB TV, he pitched 'TMKOC' to Singh.

SAB TV was launched in April 2000 by Sri Adhikari Brothers as a Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC). In 2003, it was repositioned as a comedy-centric channel. In March 2005, SAB TV was acquired by Sony Entertainment Television. 

In 2008, 'TMKOC' went on air on SAB TV. Modi was told that the show will not work on a new channel with hardly any distribution might, but he said, "Films get people to the cinema halls, the show will get people to the channel." This is how 'TMKOC' started its journey. 

Today, SAB TV is one of the top three entertainment channel in urban India and 'TMKOC' always makes it to the list of top five programmes. The second GEC from Sony's stable, SAB TV maintains that it is the only 'desert' in the crowded 'saas-bahu thali'.

In this interview with afaqs!, Neeraj Vyas - senior EVP & head, channel SAB and MAX cluster of channels, Sony Pictures Networks India talks about the role that 'Taraak Mehta' plays today for Sony SAB.

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