Thought Gullak Was A Version Of Television: Jameel Khan Admits He Wasn't 'Very Kicked' About Doing The Show Initially | Exclusive

Jameel Khan is gearing up for the release of his hit show Gullak Season 5. Set in quaint by-lanes in the heart of India, the show has been receiving immense love from the audience. As the release date approaches, Republic sat down with Khan for an exclusive chat, during which he opened up about how, initially, he wasn't "kicked" about the show and how, eventually, Gullak gave him what his hit films couldn't.

When you first read the script, did you imagine it was going to connect with the audience at this level?

Jameel Khan said “Not at all,” and added, "When I heard the first season, and I've said this before, I wasn't initially very kicked about doing it because I thought this to be a version of television, and I never wanted to do television. I was a film guy, and I still am a film guy. Web shows are a welcome change, which is not television, which is not film, somewhere in between, and it's fantastic. It is able to explore various characters more deeply. And so, yeah, Gullak gave me that platform to express myself."

Jameel Khan further called Gullak a "very important" part of his life for the last seven years.

When asked how that show is important to him, he said, "Because I am with the character from, I think, 2019. Initially, as I said, I wasn't very kicked about it. I didn't want to do it, but finally, I gave in, and I'm glad that I gave in. People at TVF (The Viral Fever) were kind enough to be very persistent and, you know, wanted to cast me and me only, and went out of their way to lure me into it. I'm glad they did."

How TVF 'lured' Jameel Khan for Gullak

When asked how the makers convinced him for the show, to this, he simply said, "By their content". He explained why he wasn't keen on taking up this show, "I was biased towards the format." But when they insisted on hearing the narration, he eventually gave in.  

"They insisted that I hear a narration, and that's when I got hooked. I said (to makers), "This really sounds good, and it's worth doing," and they immediately said, "Phir kar lijiye na aap." Toh maine kaha yaar tum log paise vaise doge nahi dhang se. Toh unhone kaha nahi sir aap kar lijiye, ye vo toh. Whatever, I mean, at the end of the day, I'm happy I did it, and I'm proud that I did it. And I'm extremely proud of the show. I'm extremely connected and, you know, emotionally invested in the show."

He concluded by saying, "This show has given me what nothing ever gave me before in terms of the audience response, the reach that it has had among the masses, and the way it has touched people's hearts is something that I haven't experienced before with other films which have done exceedingly well. The audience connects, and the love and respect that I've got out of Gullak hasn't given me that before."

All about Gullak Season 5

Apart from Jameel Khan, Gullak also stars Geetanjali Kulkarni, Harsh Mayar and Sunita Rajwar. Vaibhav Raj Gupta, as Annu was also part of the show for the four seasons, but in the upcoming season, his character will be portrayed by Anant Joshi. The fifth season will stream on SonyLIV on June 5.

Also Read: MasterChef Winner Pankaj Bhadouria Undergoes 'Successful' Surgery For Breast Cancer; Family Assures Fans, ‘She Is Safe’