Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltag Chashmah (TMKOC) is one of the longest-running fiction TV series in India which people watch with the same enthusiasm even today.
If you are also a regular viewer of TMKOC then you must be familiar with the character, Patrakaar Popatlal Pandey which is played by Shyam Pathak.
Shyam Pathak is an actor and comedian who is a resident of Ghatkopar, Mumbai. He was born into a typical lower-middle-class family. The atmosphere at home was such that he could never imagine that he would make a career in acting.
But, Shyam loved watching drama since childhood and eventually, he followed his passion and he is a successful actor today. His journey has not been easy at all, and it’s inspiring for everyone.
Started Working After 10th Standard
Every person wants to earn money in his life and take responsibility for his family. Some people even have to take on this responsibility very early in life. Something similar happened with Shyam Pathak, too.
After completing 10th grade, he felt the need to start earning money and contribute to his family’s finances. He used to go to work from morning to afternoon and then went to college to study.
This time was full of challenges and struggles for Shyam Pathak. At that time, he worked as a salesman in a clothes shop. This time was very challenging for him, but he got to learn a lot from it.
Chartered Accountant Attending Plays
While working as a salesman and studying, Shyam Pathak completed his graduation. He embarked on a journey to become a Chartered Accountant (CA), driven by his mother’s wishes.
However, when his Articleship started, Shyam realized that he needed to pursue his passion. Ever since childhood, Shyam had dreamt of becoming an actor.
Once while traveling by bus, he stumbled upon the National School of Performing Arts. Upon discovering that there was a theatre and a library, Shyam began visiting the library every weekend to read books related to theatre. Through this, he started learning more about the theatre.
He wanted to also watch the plays but he did not have money for that. Then, he approached the Director explaining his situation and expressing his desire to watch from backstage. The director agreed, and Shyam began to attend the plays regularly.
This became a routine for Shyam; he would watch plays on weekends and work during the rest of the day.
Acting Workshops to NSD
The journey to acting was never easy for Shyam Pathak, as there was never an environment in his house conducive to pursuing drama and a career in acting. However, he discovered a workshop and began participating in it.
He used to study for his exams after the workshop. When he went to the theatre group, he got the role of Sutradhar in a play. After this, Shyam’s acting journey started but he was not sure that he was actually making a career in acting.
Shyam somehow learned that Barry John was a great theatre artist and that he could learn a lot from him. Soon, a workshop was scheduled to be held in Delhi which he wanted to attend, but he didn’t have money for that.
In that situation, he wrote a letter to Barry John. Fortunately, he received a reply and was offered the opportunity to attend the workshop for free. Afterwards, he worked with Barry in Noida. Motivated by his experiences, Shyam decided to pursue training at the National School of Drama.
Journey of Professional Acting
After taking training from Barry, Shyam had learned a lot. At this time, he could have gone to Mumbai and started his career. But his dream was to take admission to the National School of Drama (NSD).
He did a lot of preparation yet he had to face many challenges. But, Shyam got selected for NSD. Shyam’s parents were not ready to send him to acting school, but he came to Delhi and learned acting very closely.
After this, Shyam Pathak’s real journey started. Shyam started getting roles in many shows and after working for some years he got the opportunity to act in TMKOC.
Very soon, his character Patrakaar Popatlal Pandey in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah became a superhit and now Shyam Pathak is ruling the hearts of millions of people with his role.
This journey was not at all easy for Shyam Pathak. He had to run around a lot, then only has he reached this position today where everybody knows him because of his acting and performance.
Watch Shyam Pathak’s Story at Josh Talks
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