MUMBAI: It is going to be comedy vs family drama on television in early prime time. The 7.00 pm slot for Colors will now be a stop for the new comedy show Mrs. Pammi Pyarelal. Where most Hindi GECs air family drama in this time slot, Colors is set to roll out what could end up being a new trend, if audiences take a shine to it.

Slated to air Monday to Saturday, Mrs. Pammi Pyarelal premiere is set for 15 July and in the words of Colors weekday programming head Prashant Bhatt "it?s going to be a sweet dish (comedy) in the thali (GECs)."

The show is the brainchild of Hemal Thakkar?s Playtime Creations which had previously produced the show Laagi Tujhse Lagan on Colors and it replaces Jai Jag Janani Maa Durga.

A funny tale of a Mumbai-based family, the lead character is Mrs. Pammi Pyarelal played by Gaurav Gera who cross dresses (for what we don?t know as yet). The other members of the family are Rahul Pyarelal, (Karan Godwani), Kamini Fauzdaar, (Usha Nadkarni), Rajveer Fauzdaar (Sanjev Jotangia), Amrita Fauzdaar (Sonia Rakkar), Randhir Fauzdaar (Prasad Barve), Mohini Fauzdaar (Rinku Ghosh), Ranjeet Fauzdaar (Mazhar Sayed), Gayatri Fauzdaar (Vindhya Tiwari), Minty Fauzdaar (Dimple Jhangiani) and Tilasmi Baba aka Noodle Baba (Sunil Pal).

Though the story plot is still under wraps, Thakkar reveals, "It?s all about woman power and why Gaurav is Pammi."

Prashant Bhatt is quite excited about Mrs Pammi Pyarelal - A genre he has wanted to  dabble with for a long time

Will conservative Indian TV audiences take well to a man dressed up in drag, even if it is comedy? Bhatt says Mrs Pammi Pyarelal is a one of its kind effort which has never been attempted by Hindi GECs, and is being filmed on location in Kanjurmarg, Mumbai. "Yes, it will be challenging to do it six days a week. But I?m a sucker for comedy and I?ve been dying to do something like this. I enjoyed watching movies such as Chachi 420 and Billy Madison where a man played the part of a woman, " he says.
"Indian cinema was started with a man playing the part of a woman as women were not permitted to come on screen. And this continued for a few years and it was men who played the part, donning women?s garb," reveals Thakkar. "In several Ram Leela?s every year, men dress up and play the part of Seeta."

The main sponsor for the show is ITC?s Vivel soap. "The way things are going right now our sponsors are looking very optimistic," says Bhatt excitedly.

Pammi wooing the men around her

The channel has been going hell for leather promoting the new show. "We have telecast the promos across 46-47 channels as well as on radio. Promotional activities also took place in Gujarat and post the launch of the show, there will be more in Delhi," informs Bhatt. "70 per cent of the promotional activities will be done post the launch of the show."
He adds that the response to Gaurav?s performance as a cross dressing man has been fabulous and has got a great response. "We worked on his look for two and a half months," he says. "We have been surprised by the crazy response we have got from audiences who say they are looking forward to the show coming on air."

Hemal Thakkar says men in drag have always been on screen

Even though promotional activities did not take place in South India, Bhatt says that he is confident of having touched a chord with viewers there as well with Colors? digital promotion. Of course one can?t forget the fact that Tamil audiences loved Kamal Hassan in the 1996 blockbuster Avvai Shanmugi which was based on Robin Williams? Mrs Doubtfire.

Viewers can follow Mrs. Pammi Pyarelal on her Facebook page and keep track of her whacky comments on Twitter as @MrsPammilicious.

With shows such as Saath Nibhaana Saathiya on Star Plus and Police Dial 100 on Life Ok airing at the same time will Colors new offering set the screen on fire? It?s over to Mrs Pammi Pyarelalto do the trick.