Deven Bhojani says Sarabhai vs Sarabhai cannot happen without Satish Shah

Actor-director Deven Bhojani recently opened up about the enduring legacy of Sarabhai vs Sarabhai. He revealed that the beloved sitcom was far from a ratings success when it first aired.

In an exclusive conversation with India Today, Bhojani reflected on how the show slowly found its audience over the years. He also shared how a full-fledged comeback now seems unlikely since veteran actor Satish Shah "is no longer with us."

'Ratings were very low'

Speaking about the show’s journey, Bhojani said he never imagined it would remain relevant across generations more than two decades later. “No, not at all. In fact, when we were making Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, its ratings were very low. The TRPs were low, and we were worried. The channel was also concerned, even though it was one of their favourite shows and their creative team loved it. But the ratings just weren’t coming,” he said.

According to Bhojani, the sitcom may simply have arrived too early for its time. “Mainly, I think, it was ahead of its time. The show ended after around 70-80 episodes. Then, after four to five years, its popularity slowly began to grow. Even now, after 20-22 years, it has become a cult show,” he shared.

Re-telecasts gave the show a second life

He added that repeated telecasts played a major role in helping the show reach newer audiences over the years. “It's re-telecasts also helped a lot, and gradually the popularity kept increasing,” Bhojani said.

Revival plans didn’t quite work

The actor also confirmed that the makers did consider reviving the show with the original cast and even attempted a second season. However, the response was not what they had hoped for. “Yes, we did think of bringing the entire cast back and starting a new chapter. We even tried a second season of 10 episodes, but it didn’t work as well as we had hoped. Although we worked hard on it, somehow it didn’t connect with the audience the way it should have,” he said.

Bhojani admitted that recreating the magic of a much-loved classic is never easy. “We couldn’t fully understand what exactly the audience wanted. And when something has stayed loved for so long, it becomes very difficult to move forward with it,” he explained.

He further said the team had decided then that they would only revisit the franchise if they were completely confident about the idea. “We had decided then that unless we were 110 per cent sure it would be fun for us and loved by the audience, we wouldn’t do it,” he said.

Why recreating the magic is impossible now

Bhojani ended on an emotional note, saying that with Satish Shah no longer around, the chances of another revival are not possible. “And now, anyway, there are no chances of coming out with the series. Satish is no longer with us.”

Satish Shah, who played Indravadan Sarabhai in the show, died on October 25, 2025.