“Hamare Zamane Mein Toh” - Beechwale- Bapu Dekh Raha Hai actors reminisce the days that were

When we look around today, what do we see? New constructions that are dime a dozen, mushrooming schools – sans the playgrounds of course, skyrocketing prices, fidgety people, restless kids and advancements in technology that one cannot fathom. Actors of Sony SAB’s upcoming show Beechwale – Bapu Dekh Raha Hai, who hail from middle class families, both in real and reel life , recently spoke about how things used to be, years ago and the stark difference today. Here are the ‘Hamare zamane Mein’ perspectives of the ‘Beechwale’ actors. Zakir Hussain, who plays the role of Bobby Beechwale on Sony SAB’s upcoming show Beechwale – Bapu Dekh Raha Hai said, “There was a time when Rs. 4000 used to be enough for a month. However, when I moved to Mumbai, even Rs. 20000 seemed less. Back in the day, we had a phone in our house and we used to write numbers and remember them. That is definitely missing today. We feel handicapped without our phones. In fact, to overcome that occasional feeling of helplessness, I have forced myself to remember few numbers, so that I am prepared in case of any mishap.” Popular actress Ananya Khare, who has made a mark for herself in the Indian entertainment industry, said, “While the population of our country has increased, there hasn’t been a proportionate increase in resources. Whatever problems have cropped up because of population explosion – financial, political, social, and educational – have been because of less resources. Today, people run towards smaller things for instant gratification, which didn’t happen as much when I was in school and college in Delhi. There is definitely more commercialization in Mumbai.” Ananya plays Chanchal, Bobby Beechwale’s wife, on the show. Mithilesh Chaturvedi, who plays the role of Dadaji, smiled, reminiscing, “You might not have heard of Master Madan. He was a remarkable singer who passed away at a young age. Today, we see many younger kids who are excellent singers. It is not like there weren’t talented people during Master Madan’s time, but today, media is playing a vital role of discovering and highlighting talent. Technology, too, has changed a lot, making the world smaller and bringing everyone, closer.” “Kids don’t climb on trees anymore.” says Manoj Goyal who portrays Puppy Beechwale’s character on the show. He continues, “The games we used to play when we were younger, are not known to many kids today. They play games on mobiles, and follow a set routine for exercise. For us, games and fitness were rolled in one. That is one major change. The price of fuel, too, has skyrocketed. My friend once showed me a Rs. 63 petrol bill, and that too for 5 liters. However, then, the salary too used to be less. Prices seemed high then, but rock-bottom now, from our current perspective.” Not just the past 10 or 20 years, even the last 4-5 years have brought in a sea of change, be it in terms of brands, technology, services, and so on. Desires have been created. The simple and content life that once was, has given way to a rush for materialistic things. The life of the Beechwale - middle class - has transformed massively. Though they are the ones suffering the most, bogged down by never ending problems, they wish for so much more.