The office is arguably one of the best loved shows in the world. Its relatable premise of a boss that everyone hates but tolerates because they need the job is what makes it a cult classic. The show has been special to a lot of people for a very long time and it has reached a point where much like F.R.I.E.N.D.S and Harry Potter it has acquired a status where most people use watching The Office as a personality trait (it is really not one though). So naturally when someone decided to remake the office in India there were extreme reactions and because I was curious I decided to watch both the versions and do a comparison. I am only going to be comparing the first season because the Indian office has only one season yet.
Right off the bat the Indian seems to be trying to improve upon the US version. I say improve and not copy for a reason. They have not made any major changes to the script and dialogues except right where the US version was lacking. For example the first episode of the indian version is diversity day and not downsizing. Which is a great decision because it gives us a background on the characters and helps us understand the reaction everyone has to the news. We already know Chadha is a moron which gives context to the moment when everyone is actually relieved about being let go off. It also tries to give characters some more background. Dwight’s Indian counterpart for example is in a group that sounds a lot like Desh Premi and it gives a first time viewer a better understanding of his motivations instead of making him look like an innocent awkward nerd whose colleague puts all his supplies into jello to bully him. Instead someone like him being hated at work makes perfect sense. My favourite part however is the indianisation of jokes. It makes them considerably funnier.
Overall Indian version is great if we talk about first time viewers and they are its biggest market as well. This is neither made for nor does it intend to impress the urban minority that speaks in English and has a lot of context of American culture. This is completely fine. Being appealing to upper middle class is not the only measure of quality. This show takes unabashed digs at the bigotry and problematic behaviour in India and it can really help its audience understand what the problem with that behaviour it is. This is a step forward in the Indian entertainment department.
If we compare first season to first season then there is no doubt that the Indian office takes the cake. Mostly because it already had a lot of material available telling them how to improve upon the original. However whether or not it is as good as rest of the season is hard to tell. We will have to wait and find out.
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