Shyam Pathak Aka 'Popatlal' From 'Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah' Once Worked As A Salesman

Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, a show that premiered in 2008, has become everyone’s favourite Indian sitcom. Every character in the show was unique and loved by all. One such character is played by Shyam Pathak, also known as 'Patrakar Popatlal', who is recognised for his signature line, 'Duniya Hila Dunga'. Not only is his character lovable on-screen, but the actor is also a sweet and down-to-earth person. He has come a long way and just like his character on set, the actor’s real life has been no bed of roses.

From balancing work and academics to gaining experience by seeing plays and acts from backstage, Shyam Pathak has worked hard to develop his personality and establish his acting career. Amidst the financial, personal, and professional burdens, look at how the famous sitcom actor worked his way around and overcame many obstacles.

When Shyam Pathak worked as a salesman and managed academics with his work life

In an interaction with a digital talk show, Shyam Pathak revealed some astonishing facts about his early life. Before gaining love for his character as 'Popatlal', Shyam took on a few odd jobs for financial support, including one where he worked as a salesman at a clothing store during his higher education.

The actor revealed that he excelled in communication skills, and so, the store owner always asked him to show clothes to customers. Shyam never shied away from new learning experiences and accepted this job with a positive attitude. However, like any other 11th-grade boy, he was embarrassed when his classmates, especially girls, visited the store with their parents.

Getting introduced to the world of theatres

During the five years of his college journey, Shyam Pathak paid little heed to his acting career. Instead, he enrolled himself in a Chartered Accountancy course to fulfill his mother’s wish. Although he cleared the exams and started his articleship, he didn’t want to make it a profession. Between doing audits for an IT firm and wanting to pursue his dreams, he always wanted to visit NCPA (National Centre for Performing Art). Speaking about the same, he said:

“I would often go to that office for audit purpose and saw NCPA while travelling by bus. One day, I thought of visiting the place.”

Shyam even paid Rs. 25 for the subscription and started gaining knowledge on weekends. He met Chetan Datar, a prominent figure in the theatre world, and befriended him. Shyam said:

“I told him that I didn’t have money and he told me to approach the directors to let me watch it from backstage. That experience would energize me for the entire week as it was something I loved totally.”

Learning from his theatre experiences

Shyam Pathak, who was drawn to acting at the age of 6-7, shared his theatre experiences. Whenever he expressed his dream of becoming an actor, people would mock him and suggest that he should focus on his studies and secure a good job instead. However, Shyam was passionate enough to block the mockery in his head and participated in a 15-day theatre workshop. Shyam was financially strained at one point when he wanted to get admitted to Barry John’s school. Luckily, he was enrolled on a scholarship and had to pay a limited amount, which he borrowed.

Getting enrolled in the National School of Drama was the turning point of his career

Just as Shyam lost hope after a few rounds of being enrolled in NSD, he received a call for the final round, which required his presence in Delhi for a workshop. The final selection was made based on the workshop. Following the workshop, Shyam gathered the courage to see the results, which included his name on the list of selected students. This proved to be the turning point in his life, as he managed to work in shows like Sonpari and Jasuben Jayantilal Joshi ki Joint Family before achieving immense fame from Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah.

With no Godfather in this industry, Shyam Pathak a.k.a. 'Poptlal', worked hard with sincerity, self-belief, and dedication to achieve what he has today.

Also Read: Meet Actress, Who Played Iconic TV Villain, Single Mother Of Twins At 18, 'Nach Baliye' With Ex-Beau

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