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'My first failure': When Satish Shah called 'Sarabhai' 'big flop'
'Sarabhai vs Sarabhai' was initially a low-performing show

'My first failure': When Satish Shah called 'Sarabhai' 'big flop'

By Isha Sharma
Oct 26, 2025
05:22 pm
What's the story

The beloved sitcom Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, which starred the late actor Satish Shah as Indravadan, was initially a low-performing show. In an old interview with DNA, Shah (74) had called it the "first failure" of his television career. Despite its eventual cult status and being considered ahead of its time by audiences, the show struggled with low TRPs when it first aired.

Actor's sentiment

Here's what Shah said about the show's initial failure

Shah, who passed away on Saturday due to kidney failure, revealed his disappointment over the show's initial failure, saying, "Let me tell you something, we did the serial as a weekly." "However, at that time, it was not publicized much." "By the time people got to know that it's a good serial and started watching it, it was taken off air due to lack of TRPs! It was the first failure of my career on TV. I felt bad."

Show's resurgence

'I compromised on my remuneration too'

Shah further added, "The irony is Sarabhai was a big flop when it was released the first time, otherwise, it would still have been running." "And that was one show for which I had compromised on my remuneration, too." The show later found its audience when it was re-run as a daily series. It also starred Ratna Pathak Shah, Rupali Ganguly, Sumeet Raghvan, and Rajesh Kumar in pivotal roles.

Personal bond

On-screen chemistry with Pathak Shah

Shah and Pathak Shah's on-screen chemistry as Maya and Indravadan was one of the show's highlights. In a previous interview, he spoke about their off-screen bond. "Ratnaji's mother and my father's younger sister were best friends. Her mother got married in my aunt's house," he said. "When we met professionally, we just hit it off and have a great comfort level."

Character design

Show was created for the elite sections of society

Shah also revealed that Sarabhai vs Sarabhai was created to cater to the elite sections of society. "The reason behind making the serial was that the channel Star One, they wanted to cater to the higher set of society," he said. "So the idea was to start an elite channel that would be enjoyed by the upper crust of society."

Character reception

Women disliked Indravadan's character

Shah also revealed that many women openly disliked Indravadan. "I have met girls who told me, 'I would love to have a father-in-law like you." "I have met guys who said, 'I would love to have a father like you.' I have met women who said, 'I would hate to have a husband like you.'"

Work condition

When Shah agreed to do show on 1 condition

In an interview with After Hours With AAE, director Deven Bhojani revealed that Shah had initially agreed to do Sarabhai vs Sarabhai on the condition that he would only work till 6:00pm. However, this changed as he started enjoying his time on set. Bhojani recalled, "He is very mischievous in real life too...Initially for 2-3 days, he worked till six, but after that, he started having so much fun."

Farewell

'Sarabhai' cast sang theme song for Shah at his funeral

Shah's funeral was held in Mumbai on Sunday. The funeral was attended by several celebrities from the industry, including Bhojani, Ganguly, Raghvan, Pathak Shah, and Kumar. The heartbroken actors sang the show's theme song to bid adieu to Shah. Ganguly was seen crying inconsolably, while Raghvan, and Kumar also posted heartfelt tributes for their on-screen father.

Twitter Post

Here's the emotional video