Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai - Running Gags

Running Gags

Although each episode in the show had an independent storyline, like most sitcoms, several running gags contributed to much of the humour.

• Middle-class Monisha: Monisha exhibits several traits that Maya brands as being 'middle class'. These traits include a love for bargaining, speaking in an excessively loud voice, watching soap operas that make little sense, and lack of refined language. Maya breaks into a list of Monisha's shortcomings which continue till other characters, usually Indravadan or Saahil, intervene. Humour often arises from the fact that despite pointing out her errors, Monisha usually continues to defend her actions.

• Rosesh's poetry: Rosesh takes pride in his skills at composing poetry, ridiculed by Indravadan and Sahil. The topics he chooses for his poetry, odd choices of rhyming words and his irritatingly shrill voice feature in most episodes.

• Maya's sophistication: Maya is portrayed a typically snobbish socialite, who often goes for charity auctions, exhibitions, art performances and tea parties with her socialite friends. She often thinks of herself as a social activist who works to uplift the downtrodden. The irony of her criticism of the less fortunate and her self-acclaimed social activism for their betterment brings about much humour. One such instance is when she raises funds for helping street children who are victims of alcohol abuse by hosting a cocktail party where she sells alcoholic beverages to her socialite friends. She dejects Monisha's middle-class attitude and most often ends up listing her shortcomings despite the fact that the problem was something else in the first place.

• Indu hates Rosesh: Indravadan despises Rosesh on almost all counts, especially his poetry. He often harasses Rosesh, who is a momma's boy and exhibits much immaturity. Indu criticises Rosesh's poetry and plays and never exhibits any sign of acceptance of Rosesh as his own child. Ironically, in one of the episodes, it is shown that Rosesh may have inherited his poor skills of poetry from Indu himself.

• Indu's childish antics and behaviour: Indravadan is usually at his childish best be it hiding chocolate chip cookies or selling his sports shoes on the street to have pani puri, not to forget his hatred for milk and love for vada pav nor his continuous attempts of playing mischief and teasing Maya.