EXCLUSIVE: Anang Desai says “Kirdaar bland ban gaye” as he comments on why Khichdi films failed to recreate the show magic

Actor Anang Desai – who is best known for playing Tulsidas Parekh aka Babuji on the TV show Khichdi and its subsequent films, recently sat down with Bollywood Bubble for an extensive chat about his career, the changes he’s noticed over the years and the much-loved sitcom.

During the chat, the senior actor – who has also been part of films like Aashiqui, Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Ishq Vishk, Tere Naam, Baghban and more, got candid about bagging the show, how much he earned for playing one of the core characters and why he feels the films didn’t recreate the magic of the show. The show has had two big screen releases in the form of Khichdi: The Movie (2010) and Khichdi 2: Mission Paanthukistan (2023).

Anang Desai on bagging Khichdi

Talking about being cast Tulsidas Parekh in the Star One show, Anang Desai said, “Khichdi jab mujhe offer hua tha… Aatish (Kapadia) aur JD ne jab contact kiya tab mere kaafi negative roles aa rahe the.” Adding that at that time he had established himself as a serious/negative actor in the TV space, Anaang continued in Hindi, “(When they approached me) I told them, ‘I’ll do it. Who will say no to such a role?’ They also told me that after they told people that they were casting me as Tulsidas, they pointed out the kind of roles I’m known for.”

He continued, “But they (the makers) were very confident and particular about who they wanted in the core cast of Khichdi. Not many of us were known for essaying such comic roles. They were adamant about the casting, and thankfully, it worked. And that resulted in us all getting light roles.”

Anang on the show’s iconic dialogues & salary

Talking about the show’s iconic dialogues – such as ‘Praful tu to gadha hai gadha’ and ‘Jayshree, chai lahi ho ya bahar se mangwa lu?’ and how they were created, Anang Desai said they were the brainchild of writer Aatish Kapadia. He said, “Aatish – who is the writer, director and producer of Khichdi, was very particular and wrote all the dialogues of the show. All these lines were written by him, nothing was spontaneous.”

He added, “Woh likh ke aata tha, hum log rehearse karte the – script level pe aur fir set pe jaake. Woh bahut particulaar the ki joh likha hai, joh rydhem hai, ussi hissab se hum log bole.” Talking about how much he earned for playing Tulsidas Parekh in Khichdi, Anang Desai said, “Yaad hai par bataunga nahi,” before cracking up.

Anang Desai on Khichdi films not working as well as the show

During the same conversation, Anang Desai also got candid about Khichdi the show being unanimously loved but the Khichdi films failing at creating the same magic in theatres. Talking about why audiences didn’t flock to theatres to watch the films, the actor said, “Khichdi ke kirdaar apne aap mein bland ban gaye. Television par (show) bahut hi successful tha isliye film bannane ki sochi. It’s one of the only TV shows to be made into a film.” He added, that the storytelling style needed to present the film was very different from the way the script of the show was written.

He continued, “I think dono films ne thodi-bahut – I don’t know the exact knowledge, but losing proposition nahi raha. Dono films ne paisa toh kamaya hai. But expecting it to work as well as a big-budget film or one with big stars, then it’s difficult. Both films worked well and were loved by their target audience. People watch the film on OTT once it is released digitally.”

Watch the full interview here:

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