Why did TMKOC’s ‘Bapuji’ Amit Bhatt accept the role of Champaklal at the age of 35? How did Dilip Joshi suggest his name? Why did you have to shave your head 283 times? Had people really started considering them as real elders? Know the complete story behind the most interesting character of ‘Taarak Mehta’.
Amit Bhatt, who played the role of Champaklal i.e. Bapuji in ‘Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah’, is counted among the most popular actors of TV. However, very few people know that when he accepted this elderly character, he was only 35 years old. His old friendship with Dilip Joshi, the trust of producer Asit Modi and his desire to challenge himself led him to this role. In an old interview, Amit Bhatt had shared many interesting stories from his entry in the show, his preparation to become Champaklal, shaving his head and the love of the audience.
Amit Bhatt got the role of ‘Bapuji’ without audition
In an interview given to YouTube channel The Moi Blog, Amit Bhatt told that he never gave an audition in his career. He kept getting work continuously and did not consider any role as small. When the plan of ‘Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah’ was being made, producer Asit Kumar Modi told him about the character of Champaklal. According to Amit, Dilip Joshi and his friendship was very old. Both had worked together in Gujarati theatre, TV shows and films. This relationship later proved to be a big opportunity for him.
Dilip Joshi had suggested the name of Amit Bhatt
Amit Bhatt revealed that initially Dilip Joshi was given the option to play both the characters of Jethalal and Champaklal. But he chose Jethalal. Despite many auditions, when the right face was not found for Champaklal, then Dilip Joshi suggested the name of Amit Bhatt. After this Asit Modi met him and offered him to play an elderly character, which he immediately accepted.
Amit Bhatt became old Champaklal at the age of 35
When Amit Bhatt started the role of Champaklal, he was only 35 years old. However, due to his long experience in theatre, he had no problem in playing elderly characters. He told that during his time in theatre, he had played characters aged 20, 35, 45 and 65 years in the same play. This experience became the biggest support for him.
What did Amit Bhatt do to become Champaklal?
Initially Amit Bhatt had to wear a wig to give the look of Champaklal. It took two to two and a half hours of makeup every day and the wig became quite uncomfortable during long shoots. Finally he took a big decision and got his head shaved. For the first two years he shaved his head every other day. According to Amit, he shaved his head a total of 283 times during this period so that the character looked completely real.
The experience of first shooting was also special
Amit Bhatt told that his first scene was shot at VT station in Mumbai. At that time, a lot of hard work went into creating the look of Champaklal. He was worried that the audience would recognize by looking at the wig that he was not the real old man. But his later decision to shave his head made his character more believable. Amit Bhatt believes that he is almost 70 percent like Champaklal in real life. He believes in discipline, punctuality and organized life. He says that the way Champaklal keeps scolding Jethalal, there is love and concern behind it. He keeps the same thinking in his personal life also.
Chemistry with Dilip Joshi became the reason for success
Amit Bhatt admitted that the pairing of Jethalal and Champaklal is one of the biggest strengths of the show. His old friendship with Dilip Joshi made the onscreen relationship more natural. According to him, if he had chosen any other character, perhaps the audience would not have got to see this memorable father-son duo. Apart from acting, Amit Bhatt is also fond of singing. He has set up a karaoke setup at home and likes to sing in his free time. Apart from this, he is also fond of traveling with his wife. Both of them often go out of Mumbai as soon as they get a few days off from shooting.