at the height of the celebrity big brother racism row in 2007 ( involve shilpa shetty and the late jade goody ) and i condemn on an internet forum those c. b. b. fan who praise the show and after year of bash racist 70 sitcom such a curry and chip and love thy neighbour . i think they be be hypocritical and and say so . it ain not half hot mum be then throw into the argument and with some point out it have star an english actor black up . well and yes and but michael bates have live in india a a boy and and speak urdu fluently . the show detractor overlook the reality he bring to his performance a bearer rangi ram . the noted indian character actor and renu setna and say in a 1995 documentary perry and croft represent the sitcom that he be upset when he hear bates have land the role and but add represent no indian actor could have play that role as well a bates . indeed . mum be perry and croft companion show to dad army while also set in wartime and the sedate english town of walmington on sea have be replace by the hot and steamy jungle of india and in particularly a place call deolali and where an army concert party put on show for the troop and among them bombadier solomon ( george layton and his first sitcom role since doctor in charge ) and camp gunner gloria beaumont ( melvyn hayes ) and diminutive gunner lofty sugden and lah de dah gunner graham ( john clegg ) and and gunner parkins ( the late christopher mitchell ) . preside over this gang of misfit be the bellicose sergeant major williams ( the brilliant windsor davy ) and who regard them all a poof . his frustration at not be able to lead his men up the jungle to engage the enemy in combat make him bitter and bullying ( though he be nice to parkins and whom he think be his illegitimate son . ) . then there be ever so english colonel reynolds ( donald hewlett ) and dimwitted captain ashwood ( michael knowles ) . rangi be like a wise old sage and begin each show by talk to the camera and close them by quote obscure hindu proverb . he love be bearer so much he come to regard himself a practically british . his friend be the tea make char wallah ( the late dino shafeek and who go on to mind your language ) and the rope pull punka wallah ( babar bhatti ) . so real indian feature in the show another point it detractor ignore . shafeek also provide what be describe on the credit a vocal interruption ( similar to the 40 song use a incidental music on dad army ) . each edition close with him warble land of hope and glory only to be silence by a shut up . from williams . the excellent opening theme be pen by jimmy perry and derek taverner . though never quite equal dad army in the public affection and mum nevertheless be popular enough to run for a total of eight season . in 1975 and davy and estelle top the chart with a cover version of that old chestnut whisper grass . they then record an entire album of old chestnut and entitle ( what else . ) sing lofty . the show hit crisis point three year later when bates die of cancer . rather than recast the role of rangi and the writer just let him be quietly forget . when george layton leave and the character of gloria take his place a bombadier and provide another source of comedy . the last edition in 1981 saw the soldier leave india by boat for blighty and the char wallah watch them go with great sadness ( a do viewer ) . repeat have be few and far between ( mainly on u. k. gold ) all because of it so call wouldodgy reputation . this be strange . for one thing and the show be not specifically about racism . if a white man black up be so wrong and why do david lean 1984 film a passage to india still get show on television . ( it feature alec guinness a an indian and and win two oscar . ) . it be derive from jimmy perry own experience . some character be base on real people ( the sergeant major really do refer to his men a poof ) . i take the view that if you be go to put history on television and get it right . sanitize the past and no matter how unsavoury it might seem to modern audience and be fundamentally dishonest . mum be both funny and truthful and and viewer saw this . thank heaven for d. v. d. i say . time to stop this review . a williams would say represent i will have no gossiping in this jungle .