The ’90s was an exciting time for the Indian Television scene with lots of pathbreaking shows. One such gem was the super cool Dekh Bhai Dekh. The Diwan family entered our lives in the year 1993 and still remains one of the most iconic pop culture references of all times. Dekh Bhai Dekh was way ahead of its times and I will always be indebted to Jaya Bachchan for producing it.
Here’s a look at what our favourite characters from the show have been upto since the great times of DBD…
1. Sushma Seth aka Sarla Diwan
Sarla Diwan was the coolest grandparent ever. Since the show, she has pretty much nailed the grandparent genre of roles. From Taal to Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham to Kal Ho Na Ho to the most recent Student Of The Year, among many others, veteran actress Sushma Seth has been an integral part of the industry. She is also a visible face in Delhi’s theater scene.
2. Navin Nischol aka Balraj Diwan
Navin Nischol played Balraj Diwan whose tendency to be forgetful often made the premise for many episodes. Last seen in the critically acclaimed Khosla Ka Ghosla, Nischol passed away at the age of 65 due to a heart attack.
3. Farida Jalal aka Suhasini Diwan
Remember “Eji Oji Suniyeji”? Why, of course you do! Farida Jalal brought the character of Suhasini Diwan to life and has done a variety of roles in films as well as on TV. She was most recently in the news of getting offended by #AIBRoast.
4. Shekhar Suman aka Sameer Diwan
Sameer Diwan was my absolute favourite character from the show and I can’t think of anyone but Shekhar Suman who could’ve essayed this role. His comic timing was on fleek each and every single time! Since then, Shekhar did some shows, hosted the epic Movers & Shakers (whose second season failed miserably!), made his singing debut, judged The Great Indian Laughter Challenge and most recently, made his directorial debut with a forgettable film called Heartless that relaunched his (forgettable?) son Adhyayan Suman.
Shekhar, it’s great that you’ve found the fountain of youth (the man doesn’t age!), but I liked you better when you weren’t one of the Ghanta Award nominees.
5. Bhavna Balsavar aka Sunita Diwan
Bhavana Balsavar played Sunita Diwan aka Chachi. Shekhar Suman has gone on record to say that if he could play any of the female characters, he’d play the role of chachi because “jhalli thhi bechari… bohot mazza aataa!” Bhavana has done many shows on TV since and was last seen in Gutar Gu.
6. Vishal Singh aka Sanjay Diwan
I always thought Vishal Singh, who played Sanjay Diwan on the show, would go a long way in the industry. You’ll recognize him from advertisements and some TV shows, but his success has been a little underwhelming ever since Dekh Bhai Dekh.
7. Natassha Singh aka Kirti Diwan
The sweet younger sibling Kirti Diwan was played by Nattasha Singh, who, surprisingly, still looks the same! She did a few small roles in some shows and made her debacle of a Bollywood debut with Mission 11 July.
8. Sunny Singh aka Vishal Diwan
And now for the child actors…
Vishal Diwan was played by Sunny Singh who shared screen space with Shahid Kapoor as one of his students in Paathshala. Last heard, Sunny was going to be in a Priyadarshan movie, but there hasn’t been an update on that.
9. Karishma Acharya aka Aabha Diwan
Karishma Acharya played the cute little Aabha Diwan. She left the field of acting as she grew up and chose to work behind the scenes. That’s right! Karishma is now a designer and a stylist in Mumbai.
10. Deven Bhojani aka Karima
Not technically a Diwan, but Karima played by Deven Bhojani, literally made the family function. He was the loyal naukar the family trusted with their lives. Since the show, Deven has done a lot of good work in various languages. And can we just take a moment to thank him for giving us Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai?
11. Urvashi Dholakia aka Shilpa
Again, not technically a Diwan, but a very important part of the family. Urvashi Dholakia played the role of Shilpa, Sanjay’s girlfriend. Urvashi is one of the most famous TV vamps of all times (remember Komolika?) and also went on to win the sixth season of Bigg Boss. The single mother of two has had a super successful career since DBD and continues to be fabulous!
That was some serious going down memory lane! What are your other favourite shows from back in the day? Tell me in comments below!