TVF’s Yeh Meri Family is back with a third season. Set in the spring of 1995, the multi-season family-drama on Amazon miniTV’s portrays the story of a typical, relatable Indian household through the eyes of the youngest member—Rishi (Anngad Raaj), a 10-year-old mischievous boy with a heart as big as his dreams.
Season 2 of the show revolved around the life of his sister, 11th grader Ritika (Hetal Gada) and her relationship with her parents, the Awasthis played by Juhi Parmar and Rajesh Kumar. It explored themes such as exam stress, heartbreak and harassment for a teenager navigating life. Season 3 will give us more of a glimpse into the siblings’ relationship with all of the banter that comes with it, amid what the children perceive as persistent nagging by parents.
We caught up with Rajesh Kumar and Juhi Parmar to learn more about the show. Edited excerpts.
Tell us about the new season and the character you play
Kumar: I play Sanjay Awasthi and this season of Yehi Meri Family is about the spring season—Vasant Ritu. It’s a story from the 90s when mobile phones weren’t widely used. This season is full of colour and new stories.
Parmar: I play Neerja Awasthi and the new season has all the colours – love, emotions, fights and different situations where family bonding will shine through again, as it has in the past seasons. We’ll learn a lot of important lessons through the story.
Juhi, you play a strict and overly caring mother in the show. Rajesh, you play a very easy-going, chill father. Were your parents similar or different in temperament when you were growing up?
Parmar: My parents are the most chilled out so I don’t relate with Neerja. My parents gave me the freedom to do what I wanted to do and they were always supportive of me. There was no rok tok or control, they didn’t pressure me to perform a certain way in school. I was a brilliant kid who did well in school and they were very proud of me. I know my parents are with me through thick and thin and they’ve always been there for me in whatever I do so I have never underestimated them. In fact, I know that they will always exceed my expectations–they’re the best parents I could have ever asked for.
Kumar: Now my parents are chill as compared to when I was younger. But my mom was comparatively more chill than my father who was super strict. However, once I had slip disc while playing cricket when I was younger and I was hospitalised for 13 days. That was a time I bonded really well with them because it also hit me that life can turn around at any time and that’s when you feel the importance of each other. They took a lot of care of me and I appreciated that.
Children too can have a heartbreak but that’s a sticky topic in many Indian household and the show touched upon this last season. What is your advice to parents unsure of how they can break free from this unspoken taboo and be there for their children?
Parmar: I feel that aankhein band karlene se sachai nahi badalti hai (the reality doesn’t change if you close your eyes). We all know that teenage is the time you’re bound to get attracted to someone, or like someone and fall in love. Rather than creating an atmosphere at home where children don’t feel comfortable confiding in you and then end up looking for that guidance outside, you should create a safe haven at home where they can come and talk to you. Often times, they seek guidance from their peers who are as less experienced as your child is and may get the wrong guidance. So, you should create a safe space where you can guide them, support them and cocoon them. You should be there to tell them you’ve got their back when they need it the most.
Kumar: Teenage is a very vulnerable stage when hormones are also at their prime. Children want to explore new things and as a parent you should know they’re going to hit this stage too. You should be 2 steps ahead of them so that you can protect them when they fall. As a parent I feel we should always be very communicative with our children, especially today as we have all moved to nuclear setups and there aren’t too many people around to guide them.
What is the one piece of advice you would give first-time parents who are watching their children enter teenage? Is there something they should be prepared for?
Parmar: I’m not at that stage yet as my daughter is still a few years away from teenage so I don’t think I am qualified to give advice.
Kumar: My elder son is already a teenager. All I can say is this is the time they switch from being communicative to being argumentative—they argue a lot. So, as a parent you should be prepared to keep your communication decibel low, avoid raising your voice to try to prove something. Teenagers do not take it easy or succumb to your opinion, they have a lot of opinions of their own. So be prepared for them. You can navigate it but don’t question them a lot.
What is a standout memory for you from the set of Season 3?
Kumar: Lots of memories but Holi was the best, because we were shooting for the whole day but never lost our cool or mind.
Parmar: The full shoot was full of memories but yes Holi was the best, it was a challenging day at work but we really had a blast. The audience is going to love the Holi sequence–the humare dil ke itne armaan they Holi khelneke woh yeh dekhke pure karliye kind.
What is the last thing you purchased on Amazon.in?
Parmar: Recently, I got a transparent pencil box and writing pad for my daughter who has an exam coming up and this got delivered a day prior.
Kumar: I haven’t purchased anything for myself in some time but my son recently got a Lego set for himself using my account.
