Exclusive - Rakesh Bedi opens up about why he doesn't take up regular TV roles; jokes about his Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah salary

Veteran actor Rakesh Bedi, who essays Taarak Mehta's boss in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, recently spoke about his bond with producer Asit Kumarr Modi. The actor also explained why he prefers not to take on regular television roles. During an exclusive chat with Times of India TV, Rakesh said he does not want to be restricted by a TV contract and humorously spoke about being paid less on TMKOC.

Speaking about his bond with Asit Kumarr Modi, he said, "Friendship is built on mutual respect and admiration. Otherwise, it doesn’t last, especially in our industry where everyone is a professional and constantly trying to move ahead. People often talk about cutthroat competition, but I don’t believe in that. I feel my only competition is with myself. I always try to become better than I was before. When it comes to our friendship, we are all connected because Asit created this show and we built it together as one team. In fact, Asit and I worked together on Hum Sab Ek Hain before Taarak Mehta."

The actor also talked about the faith he has in Asit Modi and humorously joked about earning less on Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah. "Whenever Asit needs me, I never question him about my role because I know he will give me a good character and write good scenes for me. I also never ask him about money; he manages everything on his own. Even though I may not earn as per my market price (jokes), I don’t have any complaints," he said.

The veteran actor further revealed that he does not want to be tied down to a regular TV payroll. Hence, he prefers doing character like Babulal which are regular roles, "I also do theatre and earn well from there, so I understand there are limits and everyone on the show has to be taken care of. It’s not just about me because every episode has 20-25 people working together. That has always been my mindset — I work according to the value of the work I am doing. When I work in Taarak Mehta, I work as per my availability, agar mere paas dates hogi toh main karunga. But I don't want to get stuck on a payroll in television. If I give my dates to a TV show, I won't be able to do anything else," he concluded.