Shailesh Lodha (born 8 November 1969) is an Indian poet, actor, comedian and writer.[2][3] He is best known for portraying Taarak Mehta in the Hindi sitcom Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah.
Shailesh Lodha | |
|---|---|
Shailesh Lodha in 1000 episode celebration of TMKOC 12 November 2012 | |
| Born | (1969-11-08) 8 November 1969 (age 52)[1] |
| Occupation | Actor, anchor, writer |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Known for | Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah |
| Spouse | Swati Lodha |
| Children | 1 |
Lodha was born in Jodhpur in a Marwari family.[4] Lodha is married to a management author, Swati Lodha, and has a daughter Swara. Since his father was transferred to different places, Lodha travelled a lot. His mother loved reading and had a good vocabulary in Hindi. At the age of nine, Lodha was nicknamed "Baal Kavi". He had an office job, but he left it to follow his passion, i.e. writing poems.[1] In a 2015 interview Lodha said, "I am half Jain".[5]
Lodha has completed B.Sc. and PG in marketing.[6]

Lodha first appeared on Comedy Circus as a contestant, and later in Comedy ka Mahamukabla.[7][8] He portrayed Taarak Mehta in the sitcom series Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah from 2008 to 2022.[9][10][11]
Lodha was the main presenter in the TV program Wah! Wah! Kya Baat Hai! telecasted on SAB TV during 2012-13. In 2019, he appeared in the comedy film Wig Boss along with Sunil Pal and Rakhi Sawant.[12]
| Years | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–2022 | Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah | Taarak Mehta | [13] |
| 2008 | Comedy Circus 2 | Himself | |
| 2011 | Comedy Ka Maha Muqabala | Himself | [14] |
| 2011 | Bahut Khoob | Host | [15] |
| 2013–2014 | Wah! Wah! Kya Baat Hai! | Host | [16] |
| 2022–present | Waah Bhai Waah | Host |
Lodha has written four books: the first two are satirical humour; the third is a self-help book co-written with his wife; and his most recent book, Diljale Ka Facebook Status, is a collection of poems written from the point of view of a jilted lover.[9]
At 3:06