Dilip Joshi, whose character Jethalal from Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah has taken on a new personality, celebrates his birthday today. Given the Covid situation, he has no plans to celebrate, but it is maybe the ideal opportunity to reflect on his life as an actor and a human. He talks about Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah and plays ‘Jetha’ in an exclusive interview.
The 54-year-old thanked God, saying he still doesn’t understand how the show gets so much affection. “God has been kind. We will soon be completing 14 years. It’s a surreal feeling and I feel like I am dreaming. It’s surreal how people are still loving us. We are just blessed,” he says.
Dilip Joshi recounted how he knew creator Asit Kumarr Modi from his undergraduate days when he first got onboard Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah. Modi did not even audition the actor because he was aware of his acting abilities, instead offering him the role of Jethalal or Champaklal in the program. “He said I could pull off both and thus can make my choice. I wasn’t sure of Champak and thus picked Jetha. Even this character was quite different from what we had read in the Taarak Mehta columns. Asit Ji conceptualized and designed Champak in a very different light, and set the show in society rather than a chawl. And the best part was he got the right actors for each part. Everything just fell in place for the show, and we managed to create magic.”
In his interviews, Asit Kumar Modi has always stated that he intended to provide original content to the public, something distinct from the saas-bahu storylines that were popular at the time. As the show grew older every year, we asked Dilip Joshi if he had any inkling that it would be a long path ahead. “Honestly, I couldn’t complain as I was having so much fun. I enjoy playing Jetha even today as an actor. I get to sing, dance, fight and even have dream sequences. I am doing everything a Hindi film hero gets to do, every day. We have celebrated each festival and occasion with so much zest on the show. What more does anyone want?” he replied.
The actor is also unconcerned about being mistaken for Jetha rather than Dilip Joshi. He described it as ‘satisfying,’ adding that it is an artist’s true joy when their characters acquire household names. Whenever anyone greets him as Jethalal, he believes it means they think he’s doing a great job.
Despite the fact that Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah remains to be one of the most popular shows, it has its detractors. Many have urged that the show be cancelled, citing issues such as “lack of new content” and “forced humour.” Dilip Joshi acknowledged that he does not have control over content creation, but noted that the staff is still doing their best. “I am an actor and I try to do justice to the script that’s given to me. All of us toil hard every day. By God’s grace, neither I nor anyone on the team has taken success to our head. We still go on set each day to work hard and entertain our fans.”
Dilip Joshi concluded by thanking supporters for their support and blessings, saying, “That gives us the power and keeps us going.”
