Shailesh Lodha on daughter’s lavish Jodhpur wedding, jokes he charges a lot to recite poetry | Television News

For Lodha, however, the choice of venue was about more than grandeur. He explained that his family is originally from Jodhpur and wanted to celebrate the wedding in the place that remains connected to their roots.

“We are basically from Jodhpur. We have been living here for many years, but our roots are Marwari. So, it was our wish that whatever we do, we should definitely go there and do it,” he told Farah.

Lodha joked that his daughter’s wedding was perhaps an unusual kind of destination wedding.

“I think we were the only ones who went to our own hometown for a destination wedding. It was our hometown, but it was a destination wedding,” he said.

The wedding was held at Umaid Bhawan Palace, one of Jodhpur’s most recognisable landmarks. The celebrations were reportedly intimate despite the grandeur of the venue, with family, friends and several notable guests in attendance. Videos from the festivities also showed Vicky Kaushal greeting the baraatis and interacting warmly with the family.

Lodha’s love for literature and poetry also found its way into the wedding celebrations. Instead of conventional return gifts, he reportedly arranged a book lounge where guests could choose books, giving the festivities a distinctly literary touch.

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‘I charge a lot of money to recite poetry’

During his conversation with Farah, Lodha was also asked to recite a poem. True to his comic timing, he responded with a joke: “I charge a lot of money to recite poetry.”

Lodha recalled that his first television show came nearly 26 years ago and was itself a poetry programme.

“My first show was Wah Wah 26 years ago. It was a poetry show that is very close to my heart, and that is where my journey on television began,” he said.

How poetry became Shailesh Lodha’s ticket to television

Lodha explained that he was not originally looking to become a television actor. He was performing at mushairas and poetry events when his performances caught the attention of Markand Adhikari of Sri Adhikari Brothers.

“I was doing mushairas and poetry, and that is why I was invited to television. Mr Markand Adhikari of Sri Adhikari Brothers saw me performing live. He saw me perform and said, ‘I need this guy. Let’s make a show for him.’”

That opportunity eventually became his entry point into television.

Over the years, Lodha built a career that with poetry, comedy and acting. He went on to host and appear in several poetry and comedy programmes and was also paired with actors such as Apara Mehta on Comedy Circus 2. Mehta and Lodha were contestants together on the second season of the comedy reality show in 2008.

But it was Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah that transformed Lodha into a household name. He played the titular character, Taarak Mehta, from the show’s launch in 2008 until his exit in 2022, completing 14 years on the sitcom.

“After that, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah came in 2008. I did that for 14 years, until 2022. In Hindi television, I am probably the only person who has done around 1,500 episodes based on poetry across different channels, through shows such as Wah Wah and Wah Wah Kya Baat Hai.”

He also spoke about his efforts to discover and promote new poets through these programmes.

“I would search for talent from villages and bring them onto these shows. I gave opportunities to new talent,” he said.

Lodha’s association with poetry continued even after his exit from Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah. In 2022, he returned to the genre with Wah Bhai Wah, a poetry show featuring satirical and humorous poems on contemporary issues.