Gullak 5: Actor Harsh Mayar Addresses Backlash Over Missing Annu Bhaiya As Fans Boycott Show, Says 'Thoda Open Mind...'

SonyLIV show Gullak, featuring everyday encounters of a family in small town India, released to positive reviews in 2019. While Indian OTT space thrived on crime and gritty shows and remakes, this original caught attention for its heartfelt storytelling, with the leading cast of Jameel Khan, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Sunita Rajwar, Vaibhav Raj Gupta and Harsh Mayar earning lavish praise for their portrayal of the characters, which many said struck the right chords with the family audiences. As the popular show is about release its fifth season, the new trailer that debuted a few days back brought with it a major change.

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Fans were in for a shock as Vaibhav Raj Gupta, who essayed the family's elder son Anand Mishra aka Annu, was changed. The upcoming episodes will introduce Anant V Joshi, another popular face in the OTT and movie space, as the new Annu. Anant has played roles in the Netflix series Maamla Legal Hai and movies like Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein and 12th Fail. Fans of Gullak not only expressed their strong sentiments and disappointment over the casting change but also called to boycott it. Several netizens said that Vaibhav brought a certain earnestness to the role of Annu and that made the character feel very relatable.

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As the backlash and disappointment against the new casting in Gullak continued, actor Harsh, who plays the younger son in the family Aman, shared a video addressing fans about their queries related to the new season. He said, "Gullak season 5 ki announcement ho chuki hai aur new season jaldi se release hone wala hai. Muje pata hai ki aap log new season ka badi besabri se wait kar rahe the, announcement post pe maine bahut saare comments padhe aur muje bahut saare message bi aaye ja rahe hain aur sab jagah ek hi baat chal rahi hai. I know season mein ek bahut bada badlav hai."

Harsh continued, "Log upset hai aur woh jayaz bhi hai. Gullak ek aisa show hai jisse kirdaron se aap logon ke emotions jude huye hai. Lekin kuch decisions hote hain jo kabhi kabhi humein face karne padte hai jispar hamara control nahi hota aur Gullak ki USP family, family values hi rahi hai. Hum sab ne poori koshish ki hai wohi flavour aur emotions iss season bhi bahar nikal kar aa payein aur aap sab usse relate kar paayein. Hum sab ne bahut mehant se kaam kiya hai aur main umeed karta hoon ki aap iss season ko bhi utna hi pyaar denge jitna aap sab logon ne baaki seasons ko diya hai. Agar aapka pyaar bana raha toh hum log bahut khush honge aur hamesha aapse shukrguzaar hi rahenge. Thoda open mind hoke aur dil se dekhiyega aur batna kaisa lage. See you soon on Gullak season 5."