Anant V Joshi on replacing Vaibhav Raj Gupta in Gullak season 5: ‘My intention was never to mimic somebody’

THe 5th flavour of Gullak has officially arrived, grading nearly half a decennium of capturing the rhythms of the middle-class Mishra fellowship. As the beloved series returns to screens, the biggest talking point surrounding this new chapter is the recasting of the eldest son, Annu Mishra. After four seasons of Vaibhav Raj Gupta playing the role, Anant V Joshi has stepped into the character's shoes.In an exclusive sit-down interview with Hindustan Times, the cast, Jameel Khan, Harsh Mayar, Helly Shah, and Anant V Joshi, opened up about navigating this monumental transition, the immense pressure behind the scenes, and why the brotherhood at the core of the show remains as fierce as ever.Stepping into a beloved roleStepping into a character deeply woven into the hearts of viewers is no small feat. Anant V Joshi, fresh off acclaimed performances in 12th Fail and Maamla Legal Hai, admitted that while there was undeniable apprehension, the team undertook a rigorous preparation process long before the cameras started rolling."It didn't happen on the first day," Anant revealed, describing the transition. "Actually, you know, it was this whole process we had before even walking onto the set. We had multiple rounds of readings and then discussions with the makers before both of us could be very sure of the fact that we were moving on with such a big decision."Rather than attempting to imitate what came before, the actor deliberately chose to evolve Annu to reflect the natural progression of a young adult entering the harsh realities of the outside world. "My intention was never to mimic somebody or to play someone the way someone else has played the character. Because the characters are so much in the writing itself," he explained. "For Season 5, Annu has a very different trajectory; he is now stepping out, being in the 'wild wild world,' exploring it, and seeing the challenges out there... But whenever he is at home, I made sure that the people who love Annu the way he was—I wanted to retain that."Anant, who grew up in a remarkably similar family dynamic, noted that joining the show felt less like a nerve-wracking hurdle and more like a homecoming. "This used to be a very dining room conversation, like Gullak," he shared. "Having a call to play a character which is so important for this show, I think it was great excitement rather than being nervous." Harsh Mayar on supporting the big changeThe heart of Gullak has always been the unforced, lived-in camaraderie between the Mishra brothers, Annu and Aman. For Harsh Mayar, who has played the youngest son since the show's lean 15-day shoot for season 1, the structural shake-up placed an immense weight on the entire ensemble."In this season, I would like to say there was a lot of pressure on us as actors because we all had to give 200%, because this is a very big change," Harsh candidly admitted. "And at the same time, we had to be so sure about our performance that all the jokes should land correctly and everything should be just right."While Harsh's previous working dynamic with Vaibhav Raj Gupta relied heavily on spontaneous, unsaid improvisation on set, forging a connection with Anant required a more structured, deeply collaborative blueprint. "Previously, we mostly didn't have such long discussions with him; we just did whatever came to mind or whatever improvisation happened. This time, we sat together quite a lot. We did many things together," he said.Harsh was notably among the first of the cast members to take to social media to urge audiences to keep an open mind. Reflecting on his plea to fans, he stated, “That is the reason I requested in that video as well: please give it a chance and watch it first, then decide how you feel about it... Our emotional scenes, funny scenes, and the family banter that people have always liked—we are hoping for the best.”Season 5 of Gullak is now streaming on Sony LIV.