Now this was a episode…we were tired of
so called dramas, let’s get one with…
So we decide to do a 2 part episode.
Episode divided into two parts on a cricket match.
Between Nukkad and a colony across the road, across…upper middle class.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
These guys are primed because those guys are damn good.
Great bowlers, great batsmen.They say we’ve got to practice and we’ve got to do something.
All that tamasha (drama) is happening.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I still remember
going to…When the first episode got over it was no results are announced then…
going to my paanwalla,
to buy my cigarettes from him.
Sundar, his name was Sundar.
Said ,” Sir what is going to be the result”.
I said , “You watch and tell” .
He Said ,” We have lost enough. We! Now it’s time to win.”
I said, ”Sundar, what does ‘we’ mean?” “Nukkad is our program.
It’s about us.We should not lose.
We want to win” I said ,”I also don’t know what will happen”.
“Sir, what is this? What are you guys doing?”
But I crossed the ------
And the next episode that we did,
which is culmination of the match.
Nukkad wins.
I was living in Bombay Central.In the night, this is 9 o clock on a Monday night. 9-9:30 is the program.
Program got over
and there’s fireworks across the city of Mumbai,
celebrating the victory of the Nukkad team.
It became history. Celebrating!
All the Sundars of the city were celebrating their victory.
And surprisingly I also believed perhaps, the other people, who belong to the other…
perhaps other social groups also celebrated.
But that is the impact of this program that we made.
I must say another anecdote
with this film, this episode…
Much later,
the young guy hanging out with us ,
used to work with us , called Ashutosh Gowarikar.
He worked in Salim Langda with me, became a filmmaker.
And he is making his big film called Lagaan.
And he told me, whispered and told me that “Saeed,
the entire basis for the cricket match in Lagaan was based on the Nukkad experience.
What we saw in Nukkad of the haves and the have nots.
Therefore the Indians and the British he has in Lagaan that we have to win.
That became my criteria of how to get audience on your side.
And therefore it became colonial power and Indians.
And he did that in Lagaan.
It’s an incredible story
but that’s the impact that our serial did have.
