'Beyond Disgusting', Sharad Kelkar SLAMMED For Playing 46-Year-Old Lover To 19-Year-Old

After eight years of hiatus from television, actor, Sharad Kelkar is making his way back to the small screen, but this was definitely not the welcome he had planned. The actor, known for his deep voice, versatile acting and powerful screen presence, is now getting major backlash for his role in his upcoming TV show, Tum Se Tum Tak. Days after announcing his big return to television, the show’s makers dropped the promo on March 23, 2025. While seeing the actor’s comeback was supposed to create excitement, it backfired, sparking outrage across social media.

Internet reacts to Sharad Kelkar’s choice of role in his upcoming daily soap

The promo for Tum Se Tum Tak introduces Sharad Kelkar as ‘Arya Vardhan’, a 46-year-old uber-rich businessman who has everything in life except love. Opposite him is the 19-year-old actress Niharika Chouksey, who plays a bubbly, middle-class girl whose mother is desperate to get her married off. As fate would have it, the two extremely different worlds collide, setting the stage for a romance that transcends social class and, most of all, age! And the internet is not happy about the huge 27-year age gap.

As soon as the promo was posted online, netizens did not hold back in expressing their opinions. Given Sharad Kelkar’s prestigious stature in the industry, many could not digest the fact that someone like him would even agree to such a storyline. Taking to the comment section, one user wrote, “Kese apnayega yeh Samaaj Baap Beti ke is anokhe Rishte ko”, and another remarked, “Sharad niharika se bohut bada lag raha hai ...it's like a father-daughter duo. ..it's like niharika is looking 19 yr old girl and Sharad is looking 40+”. 

Sharad Kelkar returns to television after eight years

Sharad Kelkar was a popular face in the television industry. He was last seen on TV in the 2017 mystery thriller, Koi Laut Ke Aaya Hai before transitioning successfully into films and OTT. He has starred in critically acclaimed projects like Tanhaji, Bhediya, Laxmii, Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga, and Srikanth. 

Sharad’s comeback on television with Tum Se Tum Tak seems to have made fans feel let down. The show is being questioned not just for the casting but for the message it is sending by glorifying the blooming love between a man who believes he is too old for love, and a girl who is young enough to be his daughter. A netizen noted, “Haye bhagwan....why promote such thing even! People start normalizing things in the villages.” Comments like “Beyond disgusting” and “Didn’t expect this from him” are flooding the social media feeds, making it clear that the age-gap romance isn't sitting well with the audience. 

While fans are excited to see Niharika, they can’t seem to wrap their heads around Sharad Kelkar’s decision, given the huge age gap between the two. Some also slammed the makers for sticking to the same old problematic trope rather than making it a fresh and mature love story. As of now, Sharad has not responded to the backlash.

See the promo here.

What do you think about the 27-year age gap storyline in Sharad Kelkar’s big return on television?

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