Taarak Mehta's Shailesh Lodha gets teary-eyed remembering his father and recalls his early struggles; says 'He had borrowed his friend's scooter and took me to recite my first poem'

Shailesh Lodha has been one of the most loved actors from Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah's former cast. Now, in a recent podcast with Digital Commentary, the actor got candid about his early struggles, and his mother's accident and got teary-eyed remembering his father.

That phase was the biggest lesson of my life. In 1981, I was young and I entered the circle of Kavi Sammelan. And the first Kavi Sammelan got me a lot of recognition. I was known as the bal kavi, debater and all. In those 7-8 years, god showered me with immense love and popularity. I wanted to then do a masters in Hindi Literature. I actually graduated in Science and was studying Botany Chemistry and Zoology. My love for literature took me on another journey and I wanted to go to NSD and study literature. But all of them stayed a dream.

In 1988, when I graduated, my mother met with an accident. By god's grace, she survived. But for around 2 years she was bedridden and then she has been using crutches for support. That is when I felt that I should start working and I saw an ad for a walk-in interview. I became a salesman for a pharmacy. I had to leave my manuscript, my book was supposed to get launched that year but had to leave that dream. Or else, I would have been the youngest poet to write one.

I left all my dreams, carried the bag and went to sell the medicines. I did that for many years. But somewhere that fire of art was still burning in me. In 1995, my first book was published, 'Toh mat padho meri kavitayein', God then held my hand and brought me back into the limelight. Since then, there has been no looking back.

Yes, there was frustration, someone who witnessed fame from the age of 10-11 years. I would give autographs and cut to I was living a life where I had to sell medicines and I would do that every day. Yes, I did feel frustrated but then it was important for me to be a salesman over being a poet at that time.

We never had such formal conversations with our parents. Friends would surely share such ideas with each other but not parents. They found me very happy even when I was doing the sales job. And I was actually very happy with my job. Sales teaches a lot of things. It taught me how to be tough, and how to take rejections. I am very proud of my upbringing, my rural background, my job. All of this taught me valuable lessons.

I believe tears are strength. Losing a father is like losing the sky above your head. He was the one who used to make me wear clothes. He had borrowed his friend's scooter and took me to recite my first poem. It was his encouragement that made me who I am.