‘Hip Hip Hurray’ Still Big Part of Our Lives: Samantha Reminisces

“It’s been 20 years, but the show created a bong among all the actors. We’re all still in touch,” says Samantha.

Hip Hip Hurray spells nostalgia for two reasons: one, it showcased the school lives of some pretty good-looking and happening 12th graders (and their issues) and two, because we all wanted to be and look like them. Never did a bunch of school kids look as chic as they did in their green and grey uniforms.

The show first aired in 1998 and wrapped up in 2000. It celebrated its 20th anniversary on 21 October 2018.

Samantha Sirohi who played the role of ‘Samantha’ on the show remembers how the show was special to her, not only because it was her first show on television but also because she was pitted against, and bonded with, a lovely bunch of individuals.

“Hip Hip Hurray was my first TV show and also the first time ever that I was facing the screen. It has created a wonderful bond between all of us actors and till date we are all still in touch.”

Samantha Sirohi

The show was shot over the weekends at St. Mary’s, Byculla in Mumbai.

All of the cast, at the time, were between 18 and 23 years of age, and Samantha fondly remembers how they used to get Rs 100 as “conveyance money” which was a lot of money at the time.

“In order to save money for sweet treats, we would car pool and treat ourselves to milkshakes after the show at a famous milkshake place in Worli”.

Samantha

Many a times they would lunch at an Irani Cafe, an experience that they’d be thrilled at because they were all dressed in school uniforms and looked like school kids who’d sneaked out of school.

Samantha insists that Vishal Malhotra (who played John) and Shahrukh Barucha (who played Cyrus) were the most mischievous of the lot because they would try to make her laugh every time they had a scene together.

“Their comic timing and sense of humor would crack me up in every scene. To keep a straight face and deliver my dialogue with them was tough. There were also guitar sessions with Zafar (Rafe) between shoot slots and we would all pitch in and karaoke!”

Samantha

The show wound up in May 2000 and reduced them all to years on its last shoot.

“It was a round trolley shot and we all sat under the wisdom tree (yes, we had one on our ‘set’) as the camera panned from one actor to another. That just made us feel sad because we knew that was it. Hip Hip Hurray was a big part of our lives. Even today, it’s hard for me to see the last episode without a tear in my eye.”

Samantha

“The show touched a lot of people’s lives. To be known today as a character from Hip Hip Hurray and have people still call us by the names of our characters and still connect with the show is just amazing,” says Samantha.

(A freelance food and fashion blogger, Pranjali Bhonde Pethe aims at getting people and their favourite food and style closer through her blog moipalate. Email her at [e-mail] and follow her on @moipalate.)