From reacting to Kavi Kumar Azad aka Dr Hathi's death to dealing with toxicity for being overweight; Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah's Kush Shah aka Goli recalls his childhood days

Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah actor Kush Shah, known for playing Goli, quit the show last year to pursue higher studies. The actor recently in a podcast with Just Kidding With Sid opened up about dealing with personal challenges. Kush spoke about the emotional impact of losing co-star Kavi Kumar Azad (Dr. Haathi) to facing negativity and body shaming due to his weight during his childhood days. (Photo: Instagram)

Father-son is a very conflicting relationship. Like see you don’t remember when was the last time you hugged him. We love our fathers very much but we don’t express much from both sides. Our bond with our father’s is like we relate with him the most but we also feel sometimes that we don’t want to be like our father. You want to change, break the rhythm. There was a time in my life when I realised that our parents are not always right. When it hit me, I was like my parents are god how can they be wrong. It was the most shocking thing for me. (Photo: Instagram)

I read Steve Jobs Autobiography where he mentioned about a time when he felt the same about his father. For him his father was his hero but he also realised at one point and it was shocking for him as well. I always tell everyone that I relate with Steve Jobs a lot. (Photo: Instagram)

In school I fell in love many times. In those days we used to get 100 sms in Rs 35. The phone used to be with my mom and I would take it from her. Then I used to message that when I come to school tomorrow and if I say hi to me, I’ll consider it as yes and if you don’t I’ll think it is no. Then I would sit with the phone after getting her reply. I would delete the message and give it back to my mom. (Photo: Instagram)

I used to go and watch movies alone when I was a kid. I got this habit from my grandfather. He motivated me. I used to watch movies alone when I was in 3rd class. I used to travel alone in rickshaw and even for cricket coaching because my grandfather fell ill and my parents were not able to pick me up. Mujhe akele jaana padta tha. The values that I learnt were from my grandfather. He used to tell me you should never do bad to others. (Photo: Instagram)

I never shed a tear when Azad uncle passed away. I kept questioning myself that I have lost some close people but why don’t I get emotional. I used to ask myself but then I realised that my way of expressing grief is different. I don’t cry but I keep thinking about them. Like when I used to perform scenes, I used to think yahan agar Azad uncle hote toh kya karte. (Photo: Instagram)

Azad uncle was a crazy person. He was beyond the classical conditioning that we all have. He never thought about log kya sochenge. He is a mind blowing Kavi, poet. He has written mind blowing poems and the way he used to recite them was amazing. (Photo: Instagram)

One other interesting thing about him is, if you all are from Mumbai, you must have heard of Kusum Rolls in Malad. He started that business as he was a fan of Kusum rolls in general. I just love them and it has been going on for so many years. He is no more but he settled everyone from his family, his brother. He was never a business minded person. He did it for the love of rolls. He treated everyone with love. So many people try to do business but it doesn’t do well, but his business was straight from the heart and it is doing well. He was a wonderful person and I just love him. (Photo: Instagram)

I think I’m blessed. Just think about being a fat kid in school, how toxic and difficult it is to be in a normal Indian school. People don’t allow you to live peacefully. I could still manage because I was famous. I have faced bullying because of manb**s. Since I was famous, main thoda bach gaya. But iska counter productive bhi hai you became thin. You lost weight kyunki aapne dil par le liya. But nobody bullied me so much that I lost weight. You got driven because people taunted you. (Photo: Instagram)