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Jaspal Bhatti

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Jaspal Bhatti
Born
Jaspal Singh Bhatti

(1955-03-03)3 March 1955
Amritsar, Punjab, India
Died25 October 2012(2012-10-25) (aged 57)
Shahkot, Jalandhar, Punjab, India
Alma materPunjab Engineering College
Occupations
  • Actor
  • director
  • producer
Years active1985–2012
Notable work
Spouse
Savita Bhatti
​
(m. 1985)​
Children2
RelativesSurilie Gautam (daughter-in-law)
HonoursPadma Bhushan (2013)[1]

Jaspal Singh Bhatti (3 March 1955 – 25 October 2012) was an Indian television personality known for his satirical take on the problems of the common man. He was most well known for his television series Flop Show, Full Tension and mini capsules Ulta Pulta which ran on Doordarshan, India's public service broadcaster, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was commonly known as the "King of Comedy" and also the "King of Satire". He carried out various anti-corruption crusades in Chandigarh. His frontal attack on issues like red-tapism, nepotism, and corruption was both comic and awakening for the masses.

In 2013, he was (posthumously) honoured with the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award.[1]

Early background and personal life

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Bhatti was born on 3 March 1955 in Amritsar, East Punjab, Republic of India into a Punjabi Sikh Rajput family.[2] Bhatti graduated from Punjab Engineering College (PEC) in Chandigarh as an electrical engineer.[3] Bhatti married Savita Bhatti on 24 March 1985, and has a son, Jasraj Bhatti, and a daughter, Raabiya Bhatti.[4] His wife Savita Bhatti was chosen in the 2014 Indian general elections, as a candidate of the Aam Aadmi Party from Chandigarh, but she opted out.[5]

Flop Show

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His low-budget Flop Show, the TV series in the early 1990s, is remembered even today. His wife Savita Bhatti produced the show and acted in all the episodes as his wife. Only 10 episodes were ever produced, but the show has had a long and powerful legacy and is well-remembered.[6][7] One of his co-actors Vivek Shauq became pretty successful after his stint in Flop Show, having found a solid footing in Hindi cinema.

Subsequent work

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Bhatti subsequently acted and directed the popular TV series Ulta Pulta and Nonsense Private Limited for the Doordarshan network. What attracted the audience to his shows was his gift of inducing humour to highlight everyday issues of the middle class in India. Bhatti's satire on the Punjab Police in his film Mahaul Theek Hai (1999) was his first directorial venture for a full-length feature film in his native Punjabi language. He played the role of Jolly Good Singh, a guard, in the movie Fanaa. He played a comical college principal in Koi Mere Dil Se Poochhe. He also starred in the comedy Punjabi film Jijaji.

Bhatti acted in the Hindi Movie Aa Ab Laut Chalen with Kadar Khan in 1999.

Bhatti appeared in SAB TV's Comedy ka King Kaun as a judge with actress Divya Dutta. In his latest stint, Bhatti and his wife Savita competed in a popular Star Plus show Nach Baliye which went on air in October 2008.[8] The couple demonstrated their dancing and comic skills.

In his later years, Jaspal Bhatti set up a training school[9] and a studio in Mohali near Chandigarh called "Joke Factory".

He also launched a new 52-episode comedy series titled Thank You Jijaji[10] on Sony's family entertainment channel, SAB TV. It was shot at his own MAD Arts film school at Chandigarh.

At a 2009 carnival in Chandigarh, Bhatti put up a stall displaying vegetables, daal and oils. The onlookers were invited to throw rings around them to win these costly goods as prizes, poking fun at the government's failure to control inflation.[11]

In 2009, Bhatti school's, Mad Art's, animation film on female foeticide won the second prize in the Advantage India organised by 1take media.[12] It won a certificate of merit at the IDPA-2008 Awards in Mumbai.[13]

Bhatti was granted the Lifetime Achievement Award, at the first Golden Kela Awards.[14]

Jaspal Bhatti was awarded Padma Bhushan by the Government of India, posthumously on Republic Day 2013 for his contribution to the Arts.

Political satire

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Bhatti was known for floating his political parties during elections to highlight the problems faced by the general public.

In 1995, he floated the 'Hawala Party' delighting passers-by with his original poker-faced take on growing political corruption in the country which was already a hotly discussed topic in the context of the Jain-Hawala Diaries.[15]

In 2002, Bhatti announced that he was starting the "Suitcase Party" and released his manifesto allotting 5 seats to his family & more seats to be decided based on the suitcase size of the prospective candidates.[16]

In 2009, the comedian announced that he was floating the "Recession Party" and Bhajna Amli, alias Gurdev Dhillon, as his party's face from the Ludhiana. In his trademark satirical style, he kept his party's symbol as opium, drugs and alcohol for which he claimed that there would be no shortage of supply if his party was voted to power.[17]

Critical response

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India's leading media critic Amita Malik said of him:

"Bhatti has the correct style for TV, an understated, quiet humour which sinks in without shouting, and which mercilessly exposes both corruption in our everyday life and the typical people, who thrive on it. The grim fact and the hard truths of our society so bitter otherwise are made so funny through the adept handling of Bhatti, that cleansing laughter is created out of common malpractices."[18]

Death

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Bhatti died in a car accident near Shahkot in the Jalandhar district on 25 October 2012, aged 57. The car was being driven by his son, Jasraj Bhatti.[19][20] Jaspal died just one day before the release of his film Power Cut starring his son Jasraj.[21]

In his remembrance, his wife Savita Bhatti organised 'Jaspal Bhatti Humor Festival' which takes place every year on his birth anniversary in Chandigarh.[22][23]

Awards and honours

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Year Name Awarding organisation
2013 Padma Bhushan Government of India[1]

Filmography

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As actor

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As director

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TV serials

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Title Role Notes
Ulta Pulta Various characters Also director
Flop Show Various characters Also director
Full Tension Various characters Also director
Hi Zindagi Bye Zindagi Bhatti
Karishma – The Miracles of Destiny [24]
Dhaba Junction Dhaba [25]
Thank you Jijaji Jijaji [26]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Padma Bhushan award for Jaspal Bhatti". Niti Central. 26 January 2013. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  2. ^ "Jaspal Bhatti: The funnyman of Indian television | IndiaToday". India Today. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Jaspal Bhatti's son, actress Surilie in a critical condition;". The Times of India. 2012. Archived from the original on 28 October 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  4. ^ "Bhatti's film makes it to Sandfly Film Festival". The Times of India. 2012. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  5. ^ "Jaspal Bhatti's wife Savita to contest Polls from Chandigarh as AAP Candidate but now she refused the Aam Aadmi Party ticket". IANS. news.biharprabha.com. Archived from the original on 13 March 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  6. ^ Magotra, Ashish (25 October 2012). "Why Jaspal Bhatti was never a Flop Show". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 17 April 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  7. ^ "Why Jaspal Bhatti's Flop Show was a super hit". Mid-Day. 3 March 2018. Archived from the original on 17 April 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  8. ^ "LC News". Archived from the original on 18 February 2011.
  9. ^ "Mad Arts, Jaspal Bhatti Film Studio| Chandigarh, India |". Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  10. ^ "Thank You Jija Ji". Archived from the original on 5 October 2011.
  11. ^ "Comedian Jaspal Bhatti holds a spoof on inflation in Chandigarh". DNA India. 29 November 2009. Archived from the original on 2 August 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  12. ^ ""Nanhi Chidiya"". Archived from the original on 12 December 2009.
  13. ^ "The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories". www.tribuneindia.com. Archived from the original on 31 May 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  14. ^ "Golden Kela Awards- Razzies of Bollywood". www.merinews.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
  15. ^ "Hawala Party". India Today. New Delhi. 25 October 2012. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  16. ^ "Suitcase Party". The Tribune India. Chandigarh. 29 January 2002. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  17. ^ "Recession Party". The Times of India. Ludhiana. 28 March 2009. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  18. ^ "Mad Arts, Jaspal Bhatti Film School | The Director – Jaspal Bhatti". Madarts.in. Archived from the original on 25 November 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  19. ^ "Laughs of a Generation died with Jaspal Bhatti". Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  20. ^ "Jaspal Bhatti dies in road accident in Punjab". India Today. Archived from the original on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
  21. ^ "Jaspal Bhatti died a day before son's debut film release". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  22. ^ "Jaspal Bhatti Humor Festival: A reunion and homage at Chowki No 10". The Indian Express. 2 March 2018. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  23. ^ "A unique way to remember Jaspal Bhatti, India's foremost humorist and satirist". ThePrint. 3 March 2019. Archived from the original on 5 May 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  24. ^ "Jaspal Bhatti joins Sahara's 'Karishma' starcast". Indian Television Dot Com. 2 September 2004. Archived from the original on 17 April 2005. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  25. ^ "Jaspal Bhatti returns on Doordarshan with new serial after 10-year hiatus - Exchange4media". Indian Advertising Media & Marketing News – exchange4media. Archived from the original on 2 August 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  26. ^ "Thank You Jijaji - Story, Concept & Characters | SAB TV". Archived from the original on 31 October 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
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