The silent comic series which revolves around the household of Kumars, a mix of madcap characters who unwittingly get into misadventures, will air on SAB TV, which has created a niche for itself with it's out-of-the-box comedies.
The genre of silent comedies has not seen many takers in the past, with the last attempt being Mr Funtoosh which aired on Doordarshan in the 90's, but soon closed shop due to bad ratings.
But TV veteran Bhavna Balsaver, who was a part of cult comedies like 'Dekh Bhai Dekh' and 'Zabaan Sambhal Ke' and now returns to the genre with 'Gutur Gu' says that the show will be a welcome change from the "cacophony" that is passed on as comedy on the 'idiot box'.
"I am fastidious when it comes to choosing new projects. But this one seemed a daunting proposition because you have to make the viewers laugh while keeping your lips sealed. So for a change this series is an innovative one," said the actress who plays a "typical" mother-in-law in the series.
The genre has proved a massive hit in international formats like 'Mr Bean' and 'Didi's Comedy Show' and stand-up comedian Sunil Grover, who is better known as Sud from the radio show 'Hansi Ke Phuvare', hopes to see the same response for his turn as Balu Kumar, a clumsy simpleton, who unintentionally gets into misadventures in his everyday life.
"It was something that I took time getting used to because I talk for a living and here I could not utter a word. But you can understand my character just by looking at him, his short trousers, his bright socks, he is sort of a multi-coloured Charlie Chaplin. The best part is that it is a clean comedy which is such a rarity now," said Grover.
He is joined by a cast of experienced comics including Sheetal Maulik, who plays his wife along with Bhavna Balsaver and Jaidutt Vyas who play the silent 'saas-sasur'.
Anooj Kapoor, Business Head of the channel says that the show is sure to touch a cord with the family audiences.
"I said yes to the concept as soon as I heard it and I knew that it will go down well with the audience because it is fresh. Our channel achieved a growth rate of 300 percent last year because of the family oriented comedies that we air and this is one of our most ambitious projects," said Kapoor.
The series doesn't have a single dialogue with the only exceptions being background music and recorded laughter, which according to director Prabal Baruah is aimed at educating viewers on the genre of silent comedy and may be discontinued after some episodes.
Produced by B.P. Singh, best known for superhit thrillers like 'C.I.D' and 'Aahat', 'Gutur Gu' is set to air starting Friday, March 05, 8.30pm on SA