Jaspal Bhatti | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Jaspal Singh Bhatti (1955-03-03)3 March 1955 |
| Died | 25 October 2012(2012-10-25) (aged 57) |
| Alma mater | Punjab Engineering College |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1985–2012 |
| Notable work |
|
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Surilie Gautam (daughter-in-law) |
| Honours | Padma 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 seriesFlop Show,Full Tension and mini capsulesUlta Pulta which ran onDoordarshan, 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 inChandigarh. His frontal attack on issues like red-tapism, nepotism, and corruption was both comic and awakening for the masses.
In 2013, he was (posthumously) awarded thePadma Bhushan, India's third-highestcivilian award.[1]
Bhatti was born on 3 March 1955 inAmritsar,East Punjab,Republic of India into aPunjabiRajput Sikh family.[2] Bhatti graduated fromPunjab Engineering College (PEC) inChandigarh 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 the2014 Indian general elections, as a candidate of theAam Aadmi Party fromChandigarh, but she opted out.[5]
His low-budgetFlop Show, the TV series in the early 1990s, is remembered even today. His wife Savita Bhatti produced the show and acted in all 10 episodes as his wife. The show has had a long and powerful legacy and is well-remembered.[6][7] One of his co-actorsVivek Shauq became pretty successful after his stint inFlop Show, having found a solid footing inHindi cinema.
Bhatti subsequently acted and directed the popular TV seriesUlta Pulta andNonsense Private Limited for theDoordarshan 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 thePunjab Police in his filmMahaul Theek Hai (1999) was his first directorial venture for a full-length feature film in his nativePunjabi language. He played the role of Jolly Good Singh, a guard, in the movieFanaa. He played a comical college principal inKoi Mere Dil Se Poochhe. He also starred in the comedy Punjabi filmJijaji.
Bhatti acted in the Hindi MovieAa Ab Laut Chalen withKadar Khan in 1999.
Bhatti appeared inSAB TV'sComedy ka King Kaun as a judge with actressDivya Dutta. In his latest stint, Bhatti and his wife Savita competed in a popularStar Plus showNach 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 inMohali nearChandigarh called "Joke Factory".
He also launched a 52-episode comedy series titledThank You Jijaji[10] on Sony's family entertainment channel,SAB TV. It was shot at his ownMAD Arts film school at Chandigarh.
At a 2009 carnival in Chandigarh, Bhatti put up a stall displaying vegetables, pulses 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 onfemale 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 firstGolden Kela Awards.[14]
Jaspal Bhatti was awardedPadma Bhushan by theGovernment of India, posthumously onRepublic Day 2013 for his contribution to the Arts.
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 theJain-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 theLudhiana. 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]
India's leading media criticAmita 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]
Bhatti died in a car accident nearShahkot in theJalandhar district on 25 October 2012, aged 57. The car was being driven by his son, Jasraj Bhatti, when it hit a tree.[19][20] Jaspal died just one day before the release of his filmPower 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]
| Year | Name | Awarding organisation |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Padma Bhushan | Government of India[1] |
| 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] |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
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