MUMBAI: Actor Mehul Nisar is currently seen as Bhavesh Joshi in Rajan Shahi's "Anupamaa". He has worked with the acclaimed producer previously in a show titled "Hamare Tumhare" and says it's an absolute delight to work with him.

"I have worked with Rajan Shahi around 20 years ago in a show called 'Hamare Tumhare'. Rajan ji is one of the fairest and most approachable producers in the industry. It's an absolute delight and a pleasure to work with him again," he said. His character Bhavesh is Anupamaa's brother and a cable mechanic by profession. Asked how much does he relate to his on-screen character, he said, "I am very little like the character that I am playing on-screen. That's the fun of being an actor. You get to play a new character who you really are not." Talking about the show, the "Yahan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli" actor said, "The emotional content of 'Anupamaa' is super good. That is exactly why the show is doing so well. I was introduced a little later but the day I came on-air, I got a lot of calls and messages from friends congratulating me. I hadn't told anyone about it and that means people are genuinely watching the show. I went down for grocery shopping and the grocery guy also appreciated the show. It shows that masses and classes both are really liking it."

He also appreciated Rajan and his banner Director's Kut Productions' efforts in taking proper safety measures considering the Coronavirus pandemic. He said, "It feels very safe on the sets, all the necessary precautions and much more are taken care of. From my side, I carry a sanitizer with me and maintain social-distance." A lot of actors are doing their makeup too these days, but Mehul said, "I have been doing my own makeup for the last 10 years. So it's not really new to me. But on the sets, the touch up is done by the makeup guy. During this pandemic, I am comfortable getting the touch up done by the makeup guy as all necessary precautions are taken."

The actor made his acting debut in 1998 with "Hip Hip Hurray". Asked about the changes he has seen in the industry over the years, he said, "I've been around this industry for 22 years. When I started there used to be only weekly shows at that time. The content used to be great at that time because the show was weekly and the writers did not have to stretch the main content. Over the years the format has become of a daily show. Writers have to write six episodes a week and 24 episodes in a month. Somewhere down the line, the story gets stretched too fast. Creating drama is still possible. But it's very difficult to maintain a daily comedy show. Besides that, for an actor, a lot of avenues have opened up in the last couple of years. Reality shows, travel shows, stand-up comedy, besides normal fiction, so more work is happening."

The "Bahu Hamari Rajni Kant" actor also feels that a character actor gets his due on TV as daily soaps need a lot of content now. "In today's time, a daily soap needs a lot of content, so eventually even a character actor gets his due when his track opens," he said. Mehul, lastly revealed that he loves cooking and even has a YouTube channel where he posts recipes. "I love to cook. If I had not been an actor, I would have been a chef. I have a YouTube food channel Mehul Nisar, I record my recipes and put them there," he signed off.

"Anupamaa" also features Rupali Ganguly, Sudhanshu Pandey, Madalsa Sharma, Paras Kalnawat and Aashish Mehrotra. It airs Monday to Saturday on Star Plus.