Back in the 1980s, television viewers were familiar with the multicolour, barcode-like strips that used to appear on our screens when transmission used to go off. That was probably the only colourful moment on TV at that time. At a time when Krishi Darshan and Chhayageet used to greet viewers through the sole terrestrial state-owned network Doordarshan, they did not have much of a choice. Or, rather, I would say they were not exposed to what “entertainment entertainment, entertainment” meant on TV. It was back then in 1987 that two brothers, hailing from a very humble economic background and having no connection in the entertainment business, decided to change the landscape of entertainment on Indian TV.
They were the Adhikari Brothers: Gautam and Markand Adhikari. Having their roots in the port city of Mundra, Gujarat, the brothers made Bombay their base along with the family. Family patriarch Navnitlal Adhikari was a cinematographer and his wife, Sharda, was a homemaker. Gautam, a graduate of the prestigious JJ School of Arts, was always creatively inclined. Be it in his first job or his career spanning over two decades, creativity was something he thrived on.
September 16, 1987 is etched in the minds of the Adhikari family as a milestone. Their first production venture, Bandini, a Marathi series on Bombay Doordarshan, went on air. It was to create nothing less than history – not only for the brothers but also for the TV landscape of India. Its heart-wrenching title song still remains fresh in the minds of its viewers. After Bandini, the brothers did not look back. It was not only humour; the Adhikari duo also introduced some path-breaking detective serials. Gautam Kaka (as I fondly called him) knew the art of making the audience sit on the edge of their sofa in their very family rooms. Hello Inspector, Paramveer and Dhanajay, to name a few, were their detective serials which entertained the audiences, especially Marathi viewers.
Credited for putting a smile on the face of the Indian audience with the launch of India’s first and only comedy channel, SAB TV, they knew the pulse of the viewers. From what started as a partnership firm, Sri Adhikari Brothers went on to becoming India’s first media company to be listed on stock exchanges in 1995.
Come 1991-92 and India saw the birth of first private TV channel, Zee TV, which started off with the popular serial, Commander, produced by the brothers and directed by Gautam Adhikari. The actor in the lead role of a cop, Ramesh Bhatkar, came to be known as ‘commander’ in real life too. Be it India or Nepal or wherever Zee could be seen in those times, the serial’s popularity was at its zenith. Some of its episodes were also shot in Nepal. When the crew visited the Pashupatinath Temple, people flocked them to see their beloved Commander in person. Not only that, when the head priest of the temple saw Bhatkar, he immediately took the Rudraksh Mala that was to be devoted to the holy Shiv Ling and threw it in such a fashion that it directly landed on Commander’s neck.
Named in the Limca Book of Records for directing the maximum number of TV serial episodes individually, Gautam Kaka knew his art at the tip of his fingers. In the words of veteran actor Raza Murad, he was a visionary who knew how to flirt with the camera.
He was an astute technician who worked with only a single camera setup and yet could churn out one full episode in just one shift with innumerable shots to a scene. A genius who taught the tricks of the art to all those who were willing to learn. A believer in giving chance to newcomers. A humanitarian who never differentiated between senior and junior artists, making sure that all crew members were treated alike on his set. His demise has brought an era of television to an end.
As his nephew, I have had the pleasure of spending a lot of time with him. Our talks knew no bounds when it came to topics. Be it politics, industry, people… we discussed a lot. His jovial nature and sense of humour always lead to a smile on the face of the people who would keep his company. His positive attitude towards life always kept him cheerful. A person for who always put his family ahead of him and who loved everyone unconditionally. “A simple man from the land of Gandhi,” is how he used to call himself.
He always took pride in whatever he did. In the words of actor Shailesh Lodha, being an Adhikari, he lived his life with complete adhikar. Be it his single-minded devotion to his work or smoking close to a multiple dozen cigarettes a day, wearing fashionable pairs of sunglasses and dressing to perfection; he did everything according to his own will.
We would all remember him for his warmth. Kaka, I do and will always miss you!
Kailashnath Adhikari is managing director, Governance Now.
