Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah: From calling Dilip Joshi the ‘pillar of the show’ to reacting to Disha Vakani aka Dayaben’s return, Sharad Sankla aka Abdul gets candid

Seasoned actor Sharad Sankla is best known for playing Abdul in the longest-running TV show, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah. Over the years, his portrayal of the character has earned him immense love and recognition from viewers. Recently, he appeared on a podcast, The Awaara Musaafir Show, where he spoke about his journey on TMKOC, his struggling phase, and his bond with Dilip Joshi. The veteran actor also opened up about a dull phase in his life when he had no work for nearly seven years. He further reacted to Disha Vakani’s comeback and addressed the controversies related to the show. (Photo: Instagram)

As everyone knows, Asit Kumar Modi is my friend. We actually worked together on Neela Tele Films’ very first show. In a way, I was his lucky charm because I gave him the first shot for his production house, which is considered an auspicious beginning. That’s why he has always considered me lucky. When Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah began, I wasn’t working for nearly seven to eight years. I don’t know exactly why, but either I wasn’t getting work or I was going through a phase of struggle. (Photo: Instagram)

From 2001 to 2007, I did very little work. Everyone faces tough phases in life, and at that time, production houses mostly worked with their own teams, so I didn’t get many opportunities. Later, I came to know that Asit Kumar Modi was planning a show on a very large scale. One of my close friends and college mate, Raj Premi, suggested my name to Asit Bhai. (Photo: Instagram)

There were no auditions at that time. Asit Bhai directly called me and explained the concept of the show. He told me that the serial would feature characters from different communities, but there was no Muslim character. The original story had a paan shop, and since the show was connected to Gujarat, he described the role of a paan shop owner who was a very innocent boy and asked me to play it. At that point, I had no work, and honestly, who would refuse Asit Kumar Modi? So I accepted the offer. And today, you can see where I am. (Photo: Instagram)

At that time, work had completely slowed down. As I mentioned earlier, we mostly played small roles, like the hero’s friends. That was the environment in the industry back then. Later, things suddenly started to change. The trend shifted, and heroes themselves began doing comedy and carrying the entire film. During that period, senior actors like Ashwani ji were very active, and many established performers were getting consistent work. So, it wasn’t really possible for me to choose roles or say no to certain characters. You had to accept whatever came your way. Later on, it was Johnny bhai’s time. (Photo: Instagram)

From the 1990s to the early 2000s, he appeared in almost every film. When people saw Johnny bhai on screen, they would say that Rajpal Yadav had arrived. Rajpal Yadav became very popular with the audience, and such actors were getting bigger comic roles. Because of this, we didn’t get many opportunities, and I agree that it felt like a tough phase in my life. You could say that I was going through a difficult period, or “Sade Saati.” It was happening in my life. But then, Sunny Deol gave me an opportunity and brought me onto this platform. (Photo: Instagram)

Dilip Joshi also comes from a strong stage background and is truly a king of Gujarati theatre. During his time, he has performed in countless stage plays. One of his biggest strengths is that even though he is Gujarati, his Hindi is exceptionally pure, beautiful, and sweet. With many Gujarati actors, you can sometimes sense their accent, but in Dilip Joshi’s case, you never feel that. This quality is a major plus point for him. Another big advantage is that he is a trained stage actor. Because of this, working with him becomes very easy. We all work together as a team. Even today, before shooting a scene, all the actors sit together and discuss it. We talk about how the scene should be performed, especially when new scenes come in. (Photo: Instagram)

For example, if we are shooting the next day, we go through the scenes in advance. Dilip Joshi plays a central role in shaping the scene. He is the main pillar of the show, and when he builds the scene well, everyone else comes together and the performance naturally becomes better. Dilip Joshi has reached where he is today because of his hard work. He truly deserves everything he has achieved. Even at this age, he is very fit and always keeps the energy high on the sets. Because of him, we also feel motivated and energetic. (Photo: Instagram)

When someone doesn’t have work, they often start complaining and speaking negatively about the show. But the truth is, you did as much work as destiny allowed. No one asked you to leave, and no one forced you out—you chose to walk away on your own. I feel the audience shouldn’t take these things too seriously. We should move on, because our main job is to entertain. If someone says they left the show and now aren’t getting a chance to return, I won’t name anyone, but they only harmed themselves by making that decision. In this, Asit ji is not at fault at all. And if someone leaves midway and later complains about not being paid, the other party also suffers a loss. In such situations, things are handled according to circumstances. And those who have quit the show mid-way, they are not seen anywhere else also. (Photo: Instagram)

I don’t think that is possible now, but at the same time, nothing can be said for sure, it may happen or it may not. As I mentioned earlier, our producer never wants any actor to leave the show. Daya left the show eight years ago, yet the show is still running successfully. It has been eight years, yet people are still watching the show, and for the past eight years, the audience has been missing Daya. This shows that just like the viewers are waiting for her, Asit Kumar Modi is also waiting. If she returns, that would be great, and if she doesn’t, we will find another way forward. (Photo: Instagram)

Our producer truly wants the original actress to return. But what is happening in her life right now and what decision she takes is something we cannot comment on, everyone has their own personal journey. The audience has given so much love to that character, so naturally, they would want the same person to comeback. If a new actor, there is always uncertainty about whether the audience will accept them or not. Disha created that character so beautifully, and she is not like that in real life. Her voice is different, she doesn't speak in that tone in real-life. She is a trained stage actor, and Mayur is her real brother. (Photo: Instagram)