For decades, Indian kids grew up on global imports like Tom & Jerry, Powerpuff Girls, Disney+. Fun, yes. But did they mirror our lives and values? Rarely. That gap is now being filled by Sufi and Joker Bhaiya, inspired by Jankee and Nakuul Mehta’s firstborn, Sufi, and co-created with Nishchay Gogia.
It begins, as many great things do, with the sound of a child’s laughter.
For singer–performer Jankee Parekh Mehta and actor Nakuul Mehta, that laughter came from their firstborn, Sufi, who adored clowns. His fascination, his giggles at the simplest tricks, sparked a question every modern parent knows too well: where can we find stories that entertain our child, but also leave behind something deeper?
Alongside creative storyteller Nishchay Gogia, they decided to create the answer themselves. Together, they built an animated world where a child and his clown companion could embark on adventures that were as magical as they were meaningful. That world became Sufi and Joker Bhaiya, now lovingly known as part of the growing Sufiverse.
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Why This Show Feels Different
At first glance, Sufi and Joker Bhaiya might look like any other animated series. There are bright colours, funny characters, playful banter. But the difference reveals itself quickly.
Where most children’s shows aim for speed and spectacle, Sufi and Joker Bhaiya slows down. It makes space for values like kindness, courage, imagination, presence - all woven into stories that feel both light and profound.
As Nishchay explains:
“For me, humour is the entry point. If a child is laughing, they’re open, and that’s when you can also slip in something deeper. We tried to keep the jokes very natural, like the silly things kids actually find funny. Then we layer it with a thought or a feeling that stays with you after the episode ends. Our litmus test is simple: if both a child is laughing and a parent is smiling at the same line, we know it’s working.”
It’s edutainment, yes. But it’s also something rarer: content parents can trust without feeling guilty.
Season 2: Discovery at Every Turn
The recently launched Season 2 takes the storytelling further. Set in a summer camp, the episodes expand Sufi’s universe while staying rooted in the heart of Joker Bhaiya.
New characters, fresh friendships, and adventures in oceans, space, and nature keep the narrative alive with wonder. But the values remain steady.
As Jankee puts it:
“Kids connect not only to lessons of bravery or honesty but also to discovery. With Season 2, we built it as a complete Hindi series, layering entertainment with education. Every new episode introduces something tangible while preserving the magic.”
The choice of Hindi as the primary language adds another layer: accessibility across generations. Grandparents, parents, and children can sit together, laugh together, and connect over stories that feel familiar and fresh all at once.
The Parent’s Lens
Placed at the heart of the series is the parental gaze: what qualities would we want our children to carry into the future?
As Nakuul explains:
“For Season 2, we placed Sufi and Joker Bhaiya in a summer camp, which gave us the perfect structure to explore tangible themes of everything they could be learning at a camp while still carrying forward the morals that defined Season 1. The values always come from our lived experiences as parents as much as from our instincts as storytellers. We begin by asking what qualities we’d like our own child to grow up with - kindness, courage, curiosity and then weave them into narratives that feel magical and real.”
Jankee adds:
“While the parenting lens is valuable, we lean strongly on our instincts and skill sets as storytellers. The goal is to make every new world feel magical yet authentic, so children can see a reflection of their own lives within these adventures.”
Together, their words reflect the essence of Sufi and Joker Bhaiya: stories built not just for children, but out of parenthood itself, designed to raise not only happy kids, but compassionate ones.
Simplicity as Fable, Depth as Legacy
What makes the series powerful is its clarity. Each episode feels like a modern fable, simple enough for children to grasp, layered enough to stay with them for years.
As Nishchay says:
“Children don’t need overcomplicated plots, they respond best to clear, simple stories. But within that simplicity, you can still be profound. That’s what stories always did, right? A short tale that you remember for life. We all still remember the Crow and the Pitcher story from our childhood. We wanted Sufi and Joker to feel like your best friends outside of school that imparted equal doses of education and entertainment. Something a child can enjoy today and hopefully recall years later as a story that shaped them.”
A Cultural Shift in Children’s Media
For generations, Indian children grew up on content created elsewhere - Tom & Jerry, Powerpuff Girls, Frozen. Fun, yes. But as Nishchay points out, they rarely reflected our worlds:
“Growing up, most of what we watched came from outside. Great shows, but not reflecting our lives, our families, our values. With this show, we wanted kids here to see themselves in the stories.”
Sufi and Joker Bhaiya is part of a new movement: homegrown storytelling that carries Indian warmth, humour, and everyday lessons. It signals a turning point, proof that our children deserve content that looks and feels like their own world.
Behind the Magic: Real Life Inspires Animation
What makes the stories resonate is how rooted they are in real life. The team begins with themes like resilience, the environment, or kindness. From there, they brainstorm plots, refine scripts, and sketch every scene with their animation partners.
But the magic isn’t just in the writing, it's in the voices that bring these characters to life.
As Jankee shares:
“For me, voicing is the soul of Sufi & Joker Bhaiya. I became Sufi’s voice on the show, borrowing from the way he really is… because as a mother, you just know those little nuances best. There couldn’t have been a better Joker Bhaiya than Nakuul, and together we brought them to life across both seasons.”
Season 2 also introduced new creative depth with vocal director Alekh Sangal, who not only guided the series but also voiced DC Sir, the head of the camp. He brought in some of India’s finest voice artists Shanoor Mirza and Benaifer Mirza adding richness to the ensemble. Paired with Sumeet Sandbhor’s animation and Hardik Desai’s background score, the Sufiverse grew brighter, funnier, and even more magical.
This authenticity allows children to see their own lives mirrored back whether in friendships, classrooms, or the silly moments that fill a child’s day.
Dreams for the Sufiverse
The creators see many possibilities ahead, new formats and lived experiences that could expand the universe in fresh ways. But at the core, their aspiration remains simple and pure.
As Nakuul says:
“If even one child takes back something meaningful from Sufi and Joker Bhaiya and feels inspired or hopeful, we’d consider it a success.”
Whatever shape it takes next, the soul of the Sufiverse remains the same: stories that carry values children can grow up with.
The Indian Parent Pod: Extending the Vision
But the creators didn’t stop at children’s content. Alongside Sufiverse runs The Indian Parent Pod, a podcast by Jankee and Nakuul that offers families something equally vital: a voice for the parents.
As Jankee explains:
“We started ‘The Indian Parent Pod’ because we felt there were some conversations around parenthood that weren’t being had enough. There’s so much focus on raising children, but not enough on how parenting raises us. We wanted to create a space where we could talk about all the love, the guilt, the struggles, and the growth without filters or experts, just as parents figuring it out in real-time.”
Nakuul echoes this sentiment, tying it back to the same mission behind Sufiverse:
“Alongside Sufiverse, we’re actively growing The Indian Parent Pod. It’s an extension of the same vision: creating content that sparks conversations, builds connection, and offers value to both children and parents.”
What began as dinner-table chats about what went right, what went wrong, and what no one warns you about, turned into a podcast that now reaches parents everywhere. Its power lies in its honesty, sharing both the laughter and the guilt, the lessons and the mistakes.
Parenthood, as they describe it, forces unlearning and relearning. It shines a light on parts of yourself you may want to heal, even as it deepens bonds you thought you already understood. And that’s the heart of the show: not polished advice, but presence. A reminder that if children need stories to grow with, parents need spaces to breathe in.
If Sufi and Joker Bhaiya is where children find joy and values, The Indian Parent Pod is where parents find solidarity and the comfort of knowing, “we’re in this together.”
The Laughter That Lasts
One day, years from now, a child who grew up watching Sufi and Joker Bhaiya might recall a line, a joke, a moment that shaped them. Just as our generation still remembers the fables of crows, thirsty birds, and clever rabbits, this generation may carry Joker Bhaiya’s warmth as part of their inner compass.
And perhaps that is the true dream of the Sufiverse - not just to entertain, but to leave behind laughter that becomes legacy.
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