From Monisha Sarabhai to Gadha Prasad to Dayaben, all these characters have endeared themselves due to their perfect comic timing. Another character who tickles the funny bone is Tiwariji aka Rohitash Gaud. MUSBA HASHMI chats up the actor during his visit to Delhi
He flaunts a walrus moustache with a loosely fit untucked vibrant coloured shirt and a more loose pant, which reminds us of the fashion style of the 80s. He is funny, innocent yet evil, a romeo by heart and a proud owner of an undergarments shop which people of the lively gully of Kanpur’s Modern Colony call — a khokha.
He is Laddoo’s bhaiyya, Angoori’s beloved husband, Anita Bhabhi’s caring neighbour who loves putting his nose in their business and Vibhuti Narayan Mishra’s frenemy and sometimes partner in crime too. Meet Manmohan Tiwari aka Rohitash Gaud.
Gaud was born and brought up in Himachal Pradesh. It was his love for acting brought him to the City of Dreams — Mumbai, many years back. His acting journey started from the National School of Drama where he got the much needed professional training. His idea of acting was to do theatre but destiny had something else in store for Gaud. He rose to fame after playing Tiwariji in & TV’s hilarious show — Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hain.
Launched in 2015, the show even after four years manages to tickle the funny bone. Gaud feels that the USP of the show is the script which is why the show has been able to maintain its essence even after 1,141 episodes.
“Our show is on similar lines as Shrimaan Shrimati which used to be aired on Doordarshan in 1990. The reason being our writer, Manoj Santoshi, used to work as an assistant writer for Shrimaan Shrimati. The script is rib-tickling and fresh and based in Uttar Pradesh. The concept is not something which is out of the box but the freshness in the script makes it worth watching. We have also got some talented actors who fit their roles to a T and add spice to the show. The direction and characterisation have been done well. The other thing that sets this show apart is the use of idioms. These are widely used in Kanpur and this is why everyone is able to relate to the show,” he says.
Gaud believes in working in sync with the script, when required he brings in his own style so that the character can stand out. “I always go by the script. But, I do bring in my originality and style in it. We can say it is like karat karat abhyaas (you learn when you practice).There have been many instances where I made changes in my character. Characters evolve over time. You have to nurture them. If we talk about the signature step of Tiwari, when he is stuck in an unwanted situation, he makes a weird noise ‘eeee’ and pretends as if he is biting his nails, it wasn’t a part of the script originally. It came naturally. Even when he calls Angoori ‘pagli’ that wasn’t in the script. The tone with which he says Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hain, that tone was also my idea. The gist is that, as actors, we do bring in our style in the characters we play. It shows how connected we feel with our roles,” he tells you.
Outfits speak a lot about one’s personality. It is a reflection of their personality and Gaud abides by this. He says that outfits do play an important role when it comes to the characters that you are portraying on screen. People relate to the characters because of the way they dress. “Imagine Tiwariji in jeans and tight fitted T-shirt. No one will recognise him. No one will relate to him. Outfits are designed in a manner where the audience can relate and connect to it. They speak for the characters,” he tells you.
Gaud didn’t face too many challenges in playing Tiwari because of his strong foundation that was rooted in theatre. However, when he came into the industry, it was difficult for him to adapt to the style and face the camera. “Theatre actors are generally too loud since they have to ensure they are heard till the last person sitting in the auditorium; they have to be very extra expressive as well. But, when we face the camera, it becomes difficult to understand the camera angles. Sometime we go too loud with expressions and it has to be controlled. You have to go easy with the camera since it can capture even the minute detail and no one wants to be overdramatic,” he tells you.
Gaud is thoroughly enjoying being a part of Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hai and has nothing in the pipeline yet. “When you are doing TV and moreover when you are a part of such a famous show, it becomes hard to take time out for other projects. It also comes as a huge responsibility to be able to do justice to your character. I don’t want to lose this concentration,” he tells you.
