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At it, all over again!

Mussadi Lal now appears with a new set of issues on Star One. SANGEETA BAROOAH PISHAROTY gives you the details

THE TALENTED ONE Pankaj Kapur as naya Mussadi Lal

Actor Pankaj Kapur has been seen in Office Office for so long that one just can't imagine the popular comedy show on SAB TV without him. As Mussadi Lal, Pankaj has let open his genius in the genre of comic playacting without doubt. He makes you feel as if comedy is so easy to create. Be it a hapless citizen at the hands of a set of corrupt government officials, or an honest boss showing the way to work without bribe, be it the rising fuel prices or the problems with civic bodies, Pankaj has fitted himself in all the characters to precision. And we all loved him for it.

The same old man

And since this past Friday, Mussadi Lal has added a bit of newness around him. Though he was seen on SAB TV in his usual self at the usual time this past Friday, he also popped up on the Star One screens as soon as Office Office got over. No, not as an exception but Mussadi Lal, now termed as naya Mussadi Lal, will continue to be seen on Star One now. The weekly soap, now re-christened as Naya Office Office, will feature a naya Mussadi Lal on the Star One screens at 8.30 p.m. while SAB TV might continue to do repeat shows of the older version.

Assures Pankaj, "But the naya Mussadi Lal is the same old man. The only difference is that he would be tackling a host of newer and topical issues like multiplexes, hospitals, Brihan Mumbai Corporation problems, etc." As the aim of the character is to represent the man on the street, Pankaj says his get-up will remain simple and identifiable as before. "After all, you have to present a look which connects instantly with the audience, " he says.

The offices that naya Mussadi Lal visits will be swankier, keeping the Star One viewers in mind but Pankaj promises, "you will notice that the comic quotient in the serial has upped by a few notches." The original characters of the serial, be it Mr. Bhatia, Mr. Pandey, Mr. Shukla, Mrs. Usha or Mr Patel, will all feature in the serial's newer avatar. The only exception in this Rajiv Mehra production is Vrijesh Hirjee who joins the cast as Mr. Patel, earlier played by Deven Bhojani.

With so much accolades being heaped on him for enacting Mussadi Lal, Pankaj though doesn't like to call humour as his stronger point. "It is not the genre but it depends on what role I am offered," he says. Besides Mussadi Lal, Pankaj is also remembered on small screen as detective Karamchand, now most likely to reappear on TV. "But I don't have one favourite role so far. All my roles have been really memorable for me," he says.

Talking about other projects, Pankaj says he is involved in three movies at present which will be released in a year or two. "One among these films is Vishal Bharadwaj's Blue Umbrella," he adds.

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