Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, one of India's longest-running and most-loved comedy sitcoms, has often made headlines for its behind-the-scenes controversies. The show is once again in the spotlight after actor Dayanand Shetty shared an observation about the working atmosphere on the sets of an unnamed comedy show. Although the CID star did not identify the show, many social media users believe he was referring to the sitcom as they had previously collaborated for a special crossover episode.
Best known for playing Inspector Daya, the CID actor expressed that many assume that actors on comedy shows are constantly joking and having fun off-camera, but his experience of working on a “very popular comedy show” was quite different.
Sharing his expectations before visiting the set, Dayanand said, “Aur ek show hai jisko main mention nahi karunga, bhot hi popular comedy show hai. To hamlog kya expect karte hain ki comedy show hai to inka sense of humour jabardast hoga. Ye jo actors hain wo hamesha comedy karte honge. (Here is one more show that I won't name. It's a very popular comedy show. We expect that if it's a comedy show, they will have a great sense of humor. The actors will always do comedy.”
Recalling the experience, the actor revealed that once the cameras stopped rolling, the cast members became quiet and kept to themselves.
“Hamlog unke sath kaam kar rahe hain, aur jaise comedy ka wo log jo bhi karte the khatam hua, sab serious face (But after going there, we had an integration. And we were working with them. As soon as the shooting ended, everyone became serious),” he claimed.
Elaborating further, Dayanand added, “Na ek dusre ko dekh rahe hain. Na baat kar rahe hain. Wo apne kamre mein gaya, ye apne kamre mein gaya. Jab ki kar rahe hain comedy. Humara expectation ye hai ki wo boht fun honge, lekin aisa nahi hai (They weren't looking at each other, or talking to each other. They went to their own rooms. Our expectation is that it will be very fun, cracking jokes types. But it's not like that).”
A clip of the interview shared on social media added to the speculation, with one user claiming, “The dark reality of Taarak Mehta show. No doubt, many senior actors are leaving the show despite being paid well.”
The actor went on to compare that experience with the atmosphere on the sets of CID, saying the cast of the crime drama would constantly joke around even after their scenes were completed.
“Yaha (CID) murdon ke sath baat karne wale, koi mauka nahi chor rahe (And here, those talking to dead people, they don't leave any chance to laugh),” he joked.
When asked whether the fun was limited to the time between “action” and “cut,” the CID team responded that the camaraderie continued throughout the shoot. “No, if our shot is done, we will make the other laugh. Most difficult nights to work with,” they said.
While Dayanand's remarks have triggered widespread speculation online, it's important to note that he didn't name any television show.