TV: The Kumars Are Comig

Want to see what a “typical” Indian family living in North of London is like? Then tune in to the adventures of The Kumars at No. 42, and you may recognize some echoes of yourself there! The son Sanjeev, still living at home, is a talk show host wanna-be, so his over-doting parents do the very desi thing: they bulldoze the garden and build a state of the art studio for their pampered son! Celebrities pop in to be interviewed and Sanjeev (played by actor Sanjeev Bhaskar, who also writes the show) attempts to chat while his family – mom, dad and granny – sit on a sofa and interrupt with the most outrageous comments and questions. Grey-haired granny, played with relish by Meera Syal, is particularly incorrigible and has an eye for the boys. And yes, they welcome the guests with Indian hospitality – rose petals, cloying affection, samosas and more samosas!

The words “samosa” and “marriage” are probably heard in every episode because like every Indian family the Kumars’ major aims in life are to feed everybody and get their son married and settled. The celebrity guests include former Spice Girl Mel B, Minnie Driver, Art Malik, Jerry Hall and Richard E. Grant, all of whom get the full desi treatment where strangers and celebrities become instant family.

This British series has been all the rage in the UK and has crossed the Atlantic to BBC America and has bagged several awards including two International Emmys, and a 2005 Peabody Award. So tune in if you need a samosa-fix or a shaadi-fix. Most desis will not be surprised to learn that Sanjeev Bhaskar had already completed a marketing degree and was working for IBM while writing and performing in his spare time, before he hit the big times.