Acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapoor once remarked that Bollywood — or the Hindi film industry — could be divided into A.S. and B.S. — After Sholay and Before Sholay. Such was the impact of the Ramesh Sippy-directed iconic multi-starrer that movies, pop culture, advertisements all were heavily influenced by Sholay or have had a reference to Sholay.
Thirty years ago, this week on September 22, 1994, Friends made its debut, and sitcoms forever changed. Friends made coffee shops cool and the place to be. The show catapulted its six stars—Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, the late Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer—into the stratosphere, turning them into household names from Paris to Patiala. The actors became pop culture royalty, the lines from the show were suddenly a part of the lexicon. And just like that, the world was hooked, one “Oh, my God!” at a time.
I won’t sit here and declare Friends the GOAT of sitcoms, because, let’s be honest, that debate is as endless — and as futile — as Ross and Rachel’s “we were on a break” argument. The whole debate of calling one show better than the other is very subjective and individualistic in nature. There have been shows -- pre- and post-Friends -- that have been excellent.
Modern Family delivered razor-sharp writing with an ensemble cast that made dysfunction feel, well, kind of wholesome. Brooklyn Nine-Nine? It’s the cult classic that’s left fans yelling “Nine-Nine!” louder than Captain Holt saying “vindication!” And then there’s The Office? Steve Carell’s Michael Scott made awkwardness an art form, landing it on many all-time favorites lists.
Even before Friends appeared on our TV screens, Seinfeld was the ultimate sitcom with its witty, ahead-of-its-time takes on everything and nothing. There’s That ‘70s Show, which made basement hangouts seem like the height of teenage ambition. Yet, there's something about Friends.
The one with the characters
Much like Sholay has been intricately woven into the fabric of Indian cinema, Friends has stitched itself into the very DNA of pop culture. You’d be hard-pressed to get through a single day without stumbling on a reference—whether it’s Chandler’s classic “Could I be any more…?” sarcasm or Joey’s iconic “How you doin’?”
Friends doesn’t just live on -- it thrives, popping up in memes, conversations, and awkward social situations. It is almost like a timeless catchphrase machine. It’s the TV equivalent of Sholay — beloved, quoted endlessly, and impossible to forget.
For a certain generation, Sholay has been the benchmark, the characters remained fresh, and references to Sholay are littered in countless of movies. Every time the festival of Holi comes around, can you really say “Holi, kab hai?” without adding, “kab hai Holi?”
Take the case of Zoya Akhtar’s brilliant directorial debut Luck By Chance, which opens with Sourabh Shukla running a fly by night acting school. On what can be presumed the graduation day for the ‘actors’, the chief guest is Mac Mohan — the actor who played Gabbar Singh’s sidekick Sambha. Shukla — who is excellent in the cameo — turns to “Mac ji” and conscientiously asks him to say “do shabd”. “Poore 50,000”, he says to a hearty round of applause.
Those two words made Sambha one of the most memorable characters in Hindi cinema. Sholay has far too many characters and moments like this. There’s Ramlal (played by Satyen Kappu), Imam Sa’ab (played by A K Hangal) or the 'angrezon ke zamane ke jailer' (played by Asrani). All the characters who have limited screen time yet you can never forget them. "Itna sannata kyun hai bhai" is a line said by Hangal at a rather poignant moment in Sholay yet it is used in funny Reels, memes and more.
Friends is similarly packed with unforgettable characters, who weren’t part of the core six but still managed to leave their indelible marks on the show. Take the case of the inimitable Janice, played by Maggie Wheeler, with a nasal cackle and iconic “Oh. My. God!” As Chandler’s on-and-off (and then off again) girlfriend, Janice became an honorary friend by sheer persistence, popping up at the most inconvenient (and hilarious) moments. Then, of course, there’s James Michael Tyler’s Gunther, the lovelorn barista with an unrequited crush on Rachel. Gunther may have spent most of his time pouring coffee in the background and throwing side-eye at Ross, but his deadpan delivery and pining glances made him an unforgettable part of the show.
There were too many “star” guest appearances and each one was memorable. Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Reese Witherspoon, Julia Roberts, Ben Stiller, Bruce Willis, Brooke Shields, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Susan Sarandon — that’s as A-list as it gets and they all appeared on Friends.
Of all the stars that appeared on the show, my personal favourite remains Christina Applegate as Rachel’s sister Amy. Applegate comes in two episodes and absolutely steals the show in every scene she is in.
The re-runs, the re-re-re runs and more
When Sholay marked its 30th anniversary, the Sippys released it in theatres once again in some parts of Bombay. For someone who grew up on an overdose of Sholay, I couldn’t miss the chance. At a rather nondescript multiplex in the western suburbs, I walked in a packed auditorium where almost everyone was reciting the dialogues as they played out on the screen. Coincidentally, Kyun! Ho Gaya Na — a rather forgettable Amitabh Bachchan film — had released on the same weekend. Sholay was still going ‘housefull’ where as there were very few takers of the other Bachchan film.
Friends has lived rent-free in our minds for decades because it doesn’t look dated or out of place even after 30 years. The beauty of Friends lies in its repeat value; you know the punchlines are coming, yet somehow, they still land every single time. The same goes for Sholay. You know Bachchan is going to say “Tumhaara naam kya hai, Basanti?”, and yet every time the line hits the mark.
With every new generation, Friends manages to rope in a fresh batch of fans who instantly latch onto the show’s iconic lines, giggling uncontrollably every time someone yells “Pivot!”. You can practically hear Google Search trends spike for “Unagi” around the world, as if it’s some ancient wisdom passed down through Netflix rewatches.
Sholay — the OG of Indian cinema — may see its old-world charm fading ever so slightly as the years go by, but it still holds firm as a cinematic favourite.
With shows and movies being doled out of every OTT platform like confectionary, it has become terribly hard for a show to remain relevant. Attention spans are getting shorter and there for 30 years or for a movie for 50 years. That’s why Friends stands tall amongst its contemporaries. Just like Sholay has done.
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