Naya Nukkad(1993-94)-Old Doordarshan Serial

Nukkad is an all time classic TV series ever aired. Because of it’s immense popularity & success, it become the first Indian TV serial which have second season in form of Naya Nukkad. Nukkad deals with the problem of some simple poor people of metro’s in mid 80’s. Naya Nukkad aired almost seven later in the start of 90’s. It tries to be in sync with the time & society, but it fails heavily.

Naya Nukkad start from no where. It never justify it’s re-run. Last season ends with some Govt. construction being done in Nukkad and some of the people who were the part of old Nukkad paying their tribute in last episode. So how does this Nukkad established again. Is it the same place or different, never cleared.
Further, Naya Nukkad comes with a much bigger team of directors. Previously it was directed by the trio of Aziz Mirza, Saeed Akhtar Mirza & Kundan Shah. But this time lot of new names join the trio like Sudhir Mishra, Manjul Sinha, Sanjay Chhel etc. They are never clear as individual or team that what is the theme they want to deliver. Naya Nukkad starts of with introduction to new character. Then it goes on to take more a romantic turn with lots of couple being made in Nukkad. Suddenly Ullas Bhai comes into scene with a social club. In between Apne Lal, relative of Maniklal comes into scene with some negativity. There are some episode testing the honesty of Ganpat, showing the humanity of Raja, giving some preaching through the character of Dukhiya & Ghanshu. Later due to new social club, Hari, Dukhiya & other starts diverting towards social club. Finally, it turns into a poem on screen(several episode are termed as “A Poetic Confession”). Then again it turns into drama in last 20-22 episode where Nukkad people fight against builders & gangsters
Naya Nukkad stars too many theater personality like Makrand Deshpande, Neeraj Vohra, Shefali Chaya(now Shah), Tushar Dalvi etc. It introduces some new character like Karan & Usha, who elopes from their home as they are in love and their parents are not accepting it. Sheetal a new worker in Mrs Maniklal(as Mr. Maniklal is dead, told almost in climax), also Hari’s new love intrest, Ullas Bhai, Pakya, Gullu Bhai as Social Club members, two character of Sweety(why one leaves in between never told, though she is treated as one of the character in most of the part), & in later part Munna Bhai, Badshah Khan, Advocate Khare & many more.
It has several loop hole in story telling & screen play. They are as follows:-

• Hari leaves in between & never seen again though he is one of the main character. Later he tries to sold his shop, which is own by someone else & he has taken it on rent. Than how could he sell it? Again as Raja tries to sell Hari’s shop through agent Rokadiya Seth comes in but after that neither Hari nor Sheetal shows any interest in shop, why? No answer. Also Sheetal is ready to go twice or thrice but she never leaves, why?
• Khopadi leaves drinking in between & than starts again & than leaves & than start again. What the hell, are you not confirmed what you want to do Mr. team of directors. 
• There are various incidents  mostly after episode 38 where character are throwing gags & unwanted jokes in some of the intense moment, as if nothing has happened. Why? It doesn’t lighten the intensity rather it’s too irritating.
• Neither in Nukkad nor in Naya Nukkad there is enough detail of Badshah Khan suddenly who become Godfather for Guru. He is shown as the life long instructor of Guru. Suddenly?
• The character playing Karan’s Dad & Rokadiya Seth are same? Why. Don’t you have money for an extra actor or this is what you really want to show
•  Ullas Bhai, Gullu Bhai disappears where & why no one knows.
• Some character never look comfortable among the people of Nukkad like Zaffar Bhai, second Sweety
• Suddenly a character wants to leave, in next frame he is still there & suddenly he disappear like Zaffer Bhai, quite confused.
• Also in the final episode they can’t end it with like the end it deserve.
• Character of Usha & Mrs. Maniklal is quite undefined. They irritates like hell. They are introduced after some frame & they always do the same thing

After all these short comings, Naya Nukkad has some plus points too. First & most importantly, it is second season to The Nukkad. The avid fans of Nukkad are bound to watch this. It becomes Naya Nukkad completely after episode 38. Till then it impress in bits & pieces. Several episode have glimpse of Nukkad, just settelled in Utopian world with Utopian kind of character. It also goes on to impress various movie director for scio-crime drama. A common man turning into gangster have been topic for many movie like Vastav etc. It has same rip off dialogue of Once Upon in Time in Mumbai, in a episode where Guru goes to settle thing with Saleem Chilka. Last 20 some thing episode can be called as base for movie like Shanghai(just they are calling it like Hon-Kong)
Acting wise two people impress heavily. They are Dilip Dhawan as Guru & Sameer Khakkar as Khopadi. Guru has some great character sketch in end. He is like a super hero turned into Dark knight for the Nukkad. But due to experimenting direction people of Nukkad have conflicting & mis-guiding views regarding him. More than the story, directors have colored him grey. But Khopadi has never lost his charm. He is cute & logical as ever. He is one of hell of a talent, but unfortunately most underrated.
Raja played by Haider Ali is played the character over the top except some episode from 40-45 where he has shown immense intensity. Rama Viz as Teacher ji is Okay. All the other from Nukkad has lost their touch. Some people like artist playing Usha & Dagdu has done a lot of over acting.
But there are some good back ground score. Though editing can be much better but okay. Some of the dialogue are pretty good.

Overall Nukkad has a cult status which Naya Nukkad can’t achieve, not the fraction of it. But it is still better than many drama currently in air. It is devastated because lot of experimenting. It ended with assurance of next season which never happens & never could be. But than also people will love & remember it due to Nukkad only.

Overall Rating: Three out of Five