Ji Mantriji

Ji Mantriji is an Indian adaptation of the British satirical sitcom Yes Minister. It was telecast on STAR TV's channel STAR Plus with permission from the BBC. Ji Mantriji features Farooq Sheikh as Surya Prakash Singh, the Minister of Administrative Affairs; and Jayant Kripalani as the department's secretary. The plot lines were the same as those of the original, with suitable changes in the Indian context. Ji Mantriji was in production for a year before being aired, which is unusual in Indian television where serials are generally developed and produced a few weeks in advance. The writers changed certain references to fit the new setting: France was changed to Pakistan and the European Economic Community was changed to the SAARC and the Commonwealth. Unlike the original version, Ji Mantriji was filmed in front of a live studio audience. A sequel, Ji Pradhanmantriji was also licensed from the BBC, but was never made as ratings for Ji Mantriji were below average and all of the episodes were not aired.