Nair, the elderly gentleman living in the outhouse, slowly slinks away with a vegetable basket in hand. But he is spotted by young Ramya, who immediately calls out to her parents, both named Ramany. They confront him and what ensues is a rib-tickling sequence, which is bound to get you laughing.
If you have grown up watching Tamil TV serials, chances are that you might have watched the superhit comedy play, Ramany vs Ramany.
While Season 1, starring Prithiviraj and Vasuki, aired in Sun TV in 1998, the second part was telecast in 2001 in Raj TV. In 2019, the series came back to prominence when the production house, Kavithalayaa Productions, uploaded the content on YouTube.
Now, a third installment is in the works. Ram G, who played the lead role along with Devadarshini in Season 2, makes a comeback yet again in the husband role.
“I am thrilled that I am back as Ramany,” says Ram, who is currently shooting for the second schedule, “It is the fans’ desire to see more of such content that has brought about this season.” While Vasuki Anand plays his wife in the new season, Ponni Suresh will play their daughter and Param Guhanesh, the son.
Blast from the past
Directed by Nagaa, Ramany vs Ramany became a hit primarily due to its simplicity and how it could find humour in everyday situations.
This relatability, stresses Ram, is what has worked in its favour over the years: it has viewers who have watched all episodes more than once. “The humour is organic, and most of the comments I have received is from people who see the serial as a reflection of what’s happening in their life as well,” he says.
This happened not only in the early 2000s, but also in recent times: the pandemic-induced lockdowns prompted many people to revisit its funny lines. “We had many people watching it again, and some people waking up to it for the first time. The response was overwhelming.”
Ram credits director Nagaa for bringing out the best in actors, and writing sequences that audiences relate to.
“He has the unique ability to give a humorous touch to even mundane things, such as a person getting ready to go to office or a father speaking with his daughter. Even while shooting, we almost feel that this is something that happens in our households. When you watch the content, you’ll feel like life is easy if you take things lightly.”
This season, the Ramanys will remain the Tom-Jerry kind of couple that they always were, but the situations they encounter will involve all the latest developments that the world has seen.
Playing the female lead is his friend Vasuki Anand, with whom Ram started his acting career many years ago. “Whenever I take up comedy, there’s excitement. Crazy Mohan used to say, ‘Comedy is serious business’ and I completely agree with that.”
Ram, well known on the small and big screen besides being a dance choreographer, is currently looking at the OTT space in a big way. Ramany vs Ramany will stream on one such platform (Aha Tamil).
“In the past, television presented a big opportunity for many actors who could not make it big in movies,” he says. “Now, with the surge in content in OTT platforms, several new actors will find their space.”
