From quitting his mechanical engineering job in Dubai to his impromptu dialogue 'Ekameva secretary' turning cult in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah; Mandar Chandwadkar on life before playing Bhide

Mandar Chandwadkar has been entertaining fans as Aatmaram Tukaram Bhide for more than 16 years in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Ka Chashmah, but did you know that Mandar is a mechanical engineer and was working in Dubai before bagging the show. Take a look at his revelation about his initial days.

From 1997 to 2000, I worked in Dubai. My mama was a manager there and he had called me to Dubai. I was a mechanical engineer, and I worked there dedicatedly. The payment was also good, but I always say that your career should be your passion. That stays for a lifetime, and my passion was only about acting.

During 1997, there was only Doordarshan, DD Metro, and Zee had started to blossom. That is when I had done a Marathi serial and I thought my life was sorted. I have a serial, will continue with drama, and gradually I would work in films, but that didn't happen. Due to relatives' pressure, I had to take up the job in Dubai and focus on my responsibilities over my passion. My uncle had called me there, I hadn't applied for it.

I remember 8th June 1997, I took off to Dubai, and I still remember on the 10th I was sitting with an English client in Abu Dhabi with my uncle where I couldn't understand a single thing that the client was expecting. I told my mama that I couldn't understand what the architect was saying. Slowly I started adjusting to the job.

I used to stay with the Bachelors there. I had taken up the cooking and grocery duties and started continuing with gym there. So amid work we would get a break, the bus would drop us home and we would rest. After that, we would return to work, and on the second time, after wrapping my day, I would go to Rola Square in Sharjah to the gym. Would do that for an hour, then shop groceries, cook and then by 11 off to bed. That had become my routine.

In Dubai, I met people from different countries. Because we shared interests, we formed a group called Pratibimb and started doing Hindi and Urdu plays. So, the acting part added some sort of zeal to my routine. After two years, I came to India, and I saw how the TV Industry was growing here. That is when I decided that I had to take a decision.

I didn't have the guts to tell my mama, so I wrote a letter to him that I wanted to follow my passion and not work in Dubai. I wrote, 'I hope you understand and let me follow my passion.' He let me go and advised me to follow my passion without looking back. And I had promised him that one day I would come to Dubai because of my Theatre play, and I was doing English and Marathi plays here. I actually got a chance to take my play and go to Dubai.

When I was called for the audition for Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, I was briefed that this man is the society's secretary who is very disciplined and he was proud of the work he does. Not a lot of people know but 'Main Aatmaram Tukaram Bhide, Gokuldhaam ka ekameva secretary' was an impromptu dialogue that I did in the audition and the makers loved it so much that it became my takia kalam.

Bhide is a very principled guy, he knows that Jethalal is beshisht, he doesn't want a son-in-law like him. Though Jethalal is a nice man, but for Bhide, Tapu's impression is that he doesn't follow rules, he is extremely mischievous, so for Sonu, he wouldn't want someone like Tapu. He wasn't the best for Sonu.