IF SAR ANKHON PAR HAD BEEN RELEASED TODAY, I'D HAVE BECOME A STAR LIKE VINAY PATHAK

DILIP JOSHI tells JYOTHI VENKATESH why he had walked out of Comedy Circus

What is your role in Tarak Mehta ka Oolta Chasmah?
I play the role of Jethalaal in Asitbhai Mody's latest serial Tarajk Mehta Ka Ooltah Chasmah. Jethalaal is an uneducated businessman who believes that human beings are born only to make money. Being a typical Gujarati baniya kind of a person, Jethalaal becomes newly rich but will still think twice before he enters a plush restaurant. Jethalaal's constant worry is his only son Tapu, who is very mischievous.

How tough is it for you to play the character of Jethalaal?
It was not at all tough for me as an actor to get into the skin of the character of Jethalaal in Tarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, because the description given by Tarakbhai in his column is so good that when an actor sets out to etch the character in front of the camera for the serial, it literally becomes a visual in front of him. I could not sleep for a couple of days after I had said yes to Asitbhai to do the serial, because people have too much of expectations about Tarakbhai's column and the character of Jethalaal, who is a household name in Gujarat today. It is a huge responsibility for me as an actor to live the character of Jethalaal.

In what way is the serial different from the column in Chitralekha?
The Gujarati milieu of the subject had to be first changed to suit the pan India audiences. Hence the brief given to me by the director was that I should not flaunt a Charlie moustache and get into a pant and shirt instead of wearing the typical dhoti and short kurta.

What is the plus point of the serial that attracted you to say yes when Asit offered you the role?
The plus point of the show is Tarak Mehta himself. It is an out and out situational comedy. Considering the fact that Tarakbhai is a legendary satirist who has been writing the column for the last 37 years consecutively in the Gujarati weekly Chitralekha, the most difficult aspect of the serial is to extract humor with dialogue and screenplay and retain the essence of his satirical; situations, without in any way diluting them unwittingly

Is the role a dream come true for an actor like you?
Frankly, I would not say that playing a character like Jethalaal in a show written by Tarakbhai Mehta is a dream come true for the simple reason that I had never ever even dreamt that a day would come when I would play the character of Jethalaal. More than me, my parents are excited and proud that I have been called upon to play the character of Jethalaal in Tarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chasmah.

What is the specialty of Tarak Mehta's pen?
Like R.K. Lakshman's You Said It, Tarakbhai's articles on the various aspects of the society remain relevant even today, because they deal with the day to day life with real characters. I was moved to tears when my old parents sent a camera with me and asked me to pose for a photograph with Tarakbhai when he attended the press conference of the show at Ahmedabad where he had come though he is ailing and his health does not let him to move around from place to place otherwise.

To what extent are you allowed improvisations as an actor in the serial?
Yes. I am allowed a lot of improvisations, provided they are within the parameters fo the character. It helps me as an actor that I share a very good chemistry with producer Asitbhai Mody with whom In have worked in several serials earlier, like Kabhi Yeh Kabhi Woh, Hum Sab Ek Hai, Yeh Duniya Rangeen Hai and Meri Biwi Wonderful.

What forms the crux of the comedy as far as Jethalal is concerned in the show?
To reform Tapu is Jerthalaal's only mission in life. As a result, he calls his father Champaklaal from his village thinking that he will help him reform Tapu. However you will find that hell breaks loose as his father joins hands with his grandson Tapu.

How difficult is to do a comedy?
I feel that comedy is very difficult. When you set out to act in serious shows, you are aided by the music as well as the camera angles, unlike in comedy shows where you can scorer only if as an actor you have a terrific sense of humor; excellent timing and you are in a position to execute it.

Is it true that recently you walked out of Comedy Circus though you were penciled in for it by the channel?
Yes. It is a fact that I walked out from the latest season of Comedy Circus which is on air now, because to my shock I realized that I had to do below the belt comedy in it. I am not comfortable if I have to mouth double meaning dialogues or vulgar lines as an actor. I want to derive happiness from whatever I do as an actor. I withdrew myself from the show even after I had done the rehearsals for it.

Why are you not too keen on acting in films?
It is not that I am not interested in acting in films. I had actually made my bow with the film Pratighaat along with Nana Patekar but unlike Nana, I opted to concentrate more on theatre and TV serials. I shot to popularity with Sar Ankon Par in which Anuj Saxena and Shruti Ulfat played the lead. Unfortunately for me, the film was released almost a decade ago when there were no multiplexes. If Sar Aankhon Par had been released today, like Vinay Pathak, I would also have become a star overnight of films which are different from the league.

Which are the other films in which you have acted besides Pratighaat and Sar Aankhon Par?
Have to my credit films like Maine Pyar Kiya, One Two Ka Four, Hum Aap Ke Hain Kaun , Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindusthani and last but not the least Humraaz. I agreed to do Humraaz even though it was a very small role only because Hussainbhai who is the brother of Abbas and Mustaan requested me to the role since they needed a good actor for the role. However to my chagrin, my scene was edited out of the film and my role did not make any sense even to me, forget bout the audiences. I do not even mention the name of the film when people ask me about the films in which I have acted till date.

Do you have any film up your sleeves as of now?
Do not go out of my way to do films, because basically I love theatre. To do films when you are already doing theatre is very difficult. Theatre is my first love. The feeling fo 1000 people clapping for you live is something which even a billionaire cannot buy.
I have a couple of films lend up for release like Nandita Das's directorial debut Firaque in which I play a character with grey shades as Paresh Rawal's younger brother and Dhoondthe Reh Jaaoge in which I play the uncle of Soha Ali Khan, who owns a drama company. I play a Bengali character in the film for the first time in my career.

How would you evaluate your growth as an actor?
Though I have grown over the years as an actor, even today I feel very scared when I am facing then camera for a serial. The camera I feel always catches a lie. Like a writer, I get a mental block when I face the camera even today.