The hyper detective, who likes his cases to be tough, carrots to feel crunchy, sidekick to behave silly and sunglasses to look mysterious, is back on television!
Only now, Karamchand is some 20 years older and takes an additional half hour to solve the case.
So does the cool detective of the 1980s still have what it takes to compete with scheming
saas-bahus, regressive family dramas, talent contests or star-studded chat/quiz shows? The answer is a sad no.
Back then, everyone loved Karamchand. He was an icon on Doordarshan. The way he talked, dressed, behaved -- it was stuff fancy dress competition contestants relied on to take home the best prize.
Why Karamchand, even Phatichar (Remember the catch phrase --
Arre yaar phatichar, tu itna emotional kyun hain?), again Pankaj Kapur in the titular avatar, was super cool!
Point is, icons should either be revered or bettered. Director Pankaj Parashur, who gave us a sleek, dynamic hero with fascinating eccentricities and inimitable mannerisms, poorly cashes on the once-upon-a-time craze and spoils the wonderful memories of the original.
On February 10,
Karamchand made its debut at 9 pm on Sony TV. For many of us, it was a great chance to watch the beloved detective and his antics in colour. Not everyone was blessed with a colour TV set in 1985, pal!
It started out like it had left off, with Anand Milind's catchy tune playing against the opening credits which featured multiple screen cut-outs of the man seeking mystery.
So what's the case? A laundry shop owner gets killed. The usual suspects are her good-for-nothing son, a bumbling assistant and