[!] Popatlal is married & wife-beater in real book

Hello Ishan,binie,Jayved,Vrinda and all the other fans of TMKOC,

Recently, I got the opportunity to read the actual books of Tarak Mehta in Gujarati from local library. Let me share some of interesting things from these books, that are not covered in In these tv serial episodes.

How the book characters are different from TV version characters...

1. Sodhi's name in the book is Jasbindar. He doesn't keep beard. He is a salesman (not garage-owner) and a drunkard and a wife beater. Once, his Parsi wife leaves him, and he climbs on the roof for emotional blackmailing. But unlike that TV episode, roof collapses and he gets injured. Sometimes Jasbindar gets very drunk and fights with society members. Even Tappu Sena is shown doing 'tapli-daav' (i.e. beating and teasing a drunkard). and police arrests him. His wife has dumps him, lives separately with the son. Her name is not Roshan but Daisy/Delnaaz or something like that. Ref book: Kaisi Ye Jodi Milai More Ram
2. In the book, Patrakar Popatlal is married, has kids and he is a wife-beater. In Mehta's actual books, almost every male member of Gokuldham is depicted as a drunkard and wife-beater except Mehta himself. (Mehta used to live in a lower-middle class chowl of Mumbai and he wrote most of the things as he saw in his real-life- drunkard husbands, wife-beaters, gambling... But in the TV version, many things are removed and the society members are shown as educated and well mannered middle-class people) Ref book: Kaisi Ye Jodi Milai More Ram
3. Bhide's name in the book is "Himmatlal". He is teacher but he has 3 daughters. (not just one, as shown on TV) Himmatlal is shown as suffering from constant fear that one day Tappu will elope with his youngest daughter.
   
4. Jethalal owns a cloths store (not electronics store), also Jethalal runs his store in a rented room and doesn't have cordial relations with the actual owner. Jethalal wear dhoti-kurta, and not pant-shirt as shown on tv.
5. Champaklal is shown as a chain smoker and always ready to fight with anyone. (but In the tv, they show him very gentleman). For example, in one chapter, Champak and Mehta goto haircutting saloon. The barber requests Champak to put off his bidi. Champak says no, and when Mehta too requests him to stop smoking...Champak starts casteist abusive remarks on both the barber and Mehta. (Refbook: Harry Potter Powder Galima  or Champaklal-Tapuni Jugaljodi )
   
6. Jethalal does try to flirt with Babita (her name in books is not Babita but something different) but she thwarts his attempts and ridicules and insults him in front of all society members. for eg. in one chapter, Jethalal tells Babita-ji, "lets goto eat ice-cream" and Babita-ji tells him "Why don't you take your wife to eat icecream... If I've to eat ice-cream, I'll go with my husband!" (now this is one thing I wish they show on TV!)
   
7. Babita-ji is shown as a social worker /municipal corporator in the books. She sometimes organizes the society ladies to rise against their husbands.
8. Jethalal uses very vulgar gaalis even for his own son Tappu (in the book they're replaced by *******!). Jetha doesn't respect even his father. For ex. in one chapter, Tappu routinely punctures the tyres of some rich merchant's car. The merchant comes with police, and in front of Mehta, Jethalal talks very abusively, full of gaalis, about how his father Champak has spoiled his son. 
9. In the book, Mehta refers to his wife as "Shreemati-ji (never calls her Anjali) and Anjali never doing diet-drama. Actually she's shown as very intelligent and rational person, who keeps Mehta informed about day to day happenings in the society.
   

These books run around various themes examples...
Some books are in format of big novel centered around single thread e.g.

1. once entire Gokuldham goes to S.Africa for Matka-king Mohanlal's relative's wedding.
2. Jetha and Mehta goto America on tour. (the book name is "Aah America, Waah America")
   

Some books have just have scattered chapters like

1. Sodhi's roof-climbing episode (Bookname: Kaisi Ye Jodi Milai More Ram)
2. Ramlila nautanki in Gokuldham
3. Mehta, Jetha goes to Ahmedabad, get drunk in a party
4. Mehta, Champak goto barber's shop

-update-

After vidi263's charge that my interpretations are bogus, let me clarify I've written above things only after reading the books: that's why no character interpretation is given, without citing the chapter example. If you don't believe, I suggest you go ahead and read the books written by Tarak Mehta himself.

1. Aah America Waah America [Jetha-Mehta-Champak goto USA]
   
2. Kaisi Ye Jodi Milai More Ram (wife-beater Popatlal and Sodhi)
3. Harry Potter Powder Galima   (eccentricity of Champak)
4. Champaklal-Tapuni Jugaljodi 
5. Tapu Tapori Run Ane Daria Vachhe Zool  
6. Betaj Batali Baj Popatlal Taraj
7. Chalo Goa Jova
8. Champaklal-Tapuni Jugaljodi !

and many more..

Edited by Mrunal_Patel - 12 years ago

Originally posted by: Mrunal_Patel

Hello Ishan,binie,Jayved,Vrinda and all the other fans of TMKOC,

Recently, I got the opportunity to read the actual books of Tarak Mehta in Gujarati from local library. Let me share some of interesting things from these books, that are not covered in In these tv serial episodes.

How the book version is different from TV version

1. Sodhi's name in the book is Jasbindar. He doesn't keep beard. He is a salesman (not garage-owner) and a drunkard and a wife beater. Once, his Parsi wife leaves him, and he climbs on the roof for emotional blackmailing. But unlike that TV episode, roof collapses and he gets injured. Sometimes Jasbindar gets very drunk and fights with society members. Even Tappu Sena is shown doing 'tapli-daav' (i.e. beating and teasing a drunkard). and police arrests him. His wife has dumps him, lives separately with the son. Her name is not Roshan but Daisy/Delnaaz or something like that.
   
2. In the book, Patrakar Popatlal is married, has kids and he is a wife-beater. In Mehta's actual books, almost every male member of Gokuldham is depicted as a drunkard and wife-beater except Mehta himself. (Mehta used to live in a lower-middle class chowl of Mumbai and he wrote most of the things as he saw in his real-life- drunkard husbands, wife-beaters, gambling... But in the TV version, many things are removed and the society members are shown as educated and well mannered middle-class people)
3. Bhide's name in the book is "Himmatlal". He is teacher but he has 3 daughters. (not just one, as shown on TV) Himmatlal is shown as suffering from constant fear that one day Tappu will elope with his youngest daughter.
   
4. Jethalal owns a cloths store (not electronics store), also Jethalal runs his store in a rented room and doesn't have cordial relations with the actual owner. Jethalal wear dhoti-kurta, and not pant-shirt as shown on tv.
5. Champaklal is shown as a chain smoker and always ready to fight with anyone. (but In the tv, they show him very gentleman). For example, in one chapter, Champak and Mehta goto haircutting saloon. The barber requests Champak to put off his bidi. Champak says no, and when Mehta too requests him to stop smoking...Champak starts casteist abusive remarks on both the barber and Mehta.
6. Jethalal does try to flirt with Babita (her name in books is not Babita but something different) but she thwarts his attempts and ridicules and insults him in front of all society members. for eg. in one chapter, Jethalal tells Babita-ji, "lets goto eat ice-cream" and Babita-ji tells him "Why don't you take your wife to eat icecream... If I've to eat ice-cream, I'll go with my husband!" (now this is one thing I wish they show on TV!)
   
7. Babita-ji is shown as a social worker /municipal corporator in the books. She sometimes organizes the society ladies to rise against their husbands.
8. Jethalal uses very vulgar gaalis even for his own son Tappu (in the book they're replaced by *******!). Jetha doesn't respect even his father. For ex. in one chapter, Tappu routinely punctures the tyres of some rich merchant's car. The merchant comes with police, and in front of Mehta, Jethalal talks very abusively, full of gaalis, about how his father Champak has spoiled his son. 
9. In the book, Mehta refers to his wife as "Shreemati-ji (never calls her Anjali) and Anjali never doing diet-drama. Actually she's shown as very intelligent and rational person, who keeps Mehta informed about day to day happenings in the society.
   

These books run around various themes examples...
Some books are in format of big novel centered around single thread e.g.

1. once entire Gokuldham goes to S.Africa for Matka-king Mohanlal's relative's wedding.
2. Jetha and Mehta goto America on tour. (the book name is "Aah America, Waah America")
   

Some books have just have scattered chapters like

1. Sodhi's roof-climbing episode (Bookname: Rab ne banayi jodi or something like that)
   
2. Ramlila nautanki in Gokuldham
3. Mehta, Jetha goes to Ahmedabad, get drunk in a party
4. Mehta, Champak goto barber's shop

Originally posted by: vidi263

I am an avid reader of Duniya ne oondha chashma in Chitralekha since years and every week read it very diligently. After reading your depiction of the stories by Mr. Tarak Mehta and interpretation of all the characters in the story I have only one thing to say. Please do me a HUGE favour. Never ever read or even touch the original story. I am sorry but you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.

This is not from his weekly Chitrlekha columns. But based on his character depictions in separate books, where Tarak Mehta used the same characters and wrote the stories.Here is the list books by Tarak Mehta, I went through before giving my opinions.

1.Aah America Waah America
2.Kaisi Ye Jodi Milai More Ram (wife-beater Popatlal and Sodhi)
3. Harry Potter Powdergali maa. (eccentricity  of Champaklal)
4. Champaklal-Tapuni Jugaljodi
5.Tapu Tapori Run Ane Daria Vachhe Zool 
and some others too.

I've quoted chapter examples after writing about each character, my first post was entirely based on what Mehta actually wrote in his books.

You've given your opinion after reading his routine columns. And I don't doubt your interpretation. But Mehta in his routine columns for Chitralekha, seems to have maintained a high moral-character standards for the consumption of specific target readers, which he didnot, while writing these books. Champaklal is prime example. His character depiction in these books, is miles away from what he is shown on TV/column.
Edited by Mrunal_Patel - 12 years ago

here is the book cover of "Kaisi ye jodi milaai more Ram"

In above book, Mehta used characters of Gokuldham to make humor out of marital woes. On the book-cover it is Roshan (Jasbindar) and his wife. Mehta depicted him as a drunkard and a wife beater. Same for patrakar popatlal. If vidi263 can proove that it is not in that book, then Ishan delete my membership from this site 😊

Edited by Mrunal_Patel - 12 years ago

hey mrunal good to see ur post after a long time...
hey then i think popatlal will  atlast get married one day...
then there will be fun of his wife too...
hope it happens soon as fed of seeing popatlals affairs evreytime
nd thnx 4 sharing!!!!!!😊

It feels great to know that someone has actually read the original stories. We all know that TMKOC is an interpretation, tailor-made for a global audience. In fact, even Mr. Tarak Mehta was not very happy with the way some of his characters were changed to give them a modern outlook and make them more relevant.

 

Thanks for sharing the info. Mrunal. I would have loved to read all the books , but I dont know Gujarati. That's really some interesting info. you have provided. I hope just like in books , Popatlal gets married soon so that there are no more marriage tracks (hope he is not portrayed as a wife beater though). As kk1974 said , I agree they must have made some changes to the characters to make them relevant to the viewers , TMKOC is a light hearted comedy show , so viewers would want to see the society members as wife beaters.

I like it the way they show it on TV

thanks for sharing!!!!!! :)