All it took was a year of working with Shilpa Shinde — before she quit Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai — for co-star Aasif Sheikh to miss her through the next nine years. Naturally, he is elated that the actor has returned to the show. “I used to wish at times for this to happen because we have done some amazing work. I always missed my chemistry with her,” he smiles.

Shinde became a household name playing Angoori Bhabhi on the comedy show. She was later replaced by Shubhangi Atre. However, when the show rebranded as Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai 2.0, Shinde made a comeback. For Sheikh, it has been a bittersweet experience — welcoming an old friend while bidding farewell to a co-star of nine years.

“When Shubhangi came, I took time to adjust to her because she hadn’t done comedy before. [Eventually], things settled, but Shilpa was missed throughout. She had created a benchmark in one year. When she left, people shared their [disappointment]. Shubhangi worked very hard and fixed herself in Shilpa’s shoes. We were told, ‘There is a new show now. So, Shubhangi wasn’t being replaced. She just backed off. Shilpa has taken over.’ That’s how I approached it,” claims Sheikh.

The actor’s attachment to the show supersedes every other professional opportunity. Even though he believes there is a “stigma” attached to television actors, he has chosen loyalty over ambition.

“There is a demarcation [between] TV actors, film actors, and OTT actors. It takes time for an actor on TV to get into OTT or films because [makers] don’t trust [us],” he says, adding, “I can’t give time to cinema. I recently left a massive film because the makers wanted 25 days in two months. My producer said she couldn’t shoot the show without me. This show is my priority. It gave me everything. I have done 125 films. All of them together don’t match up to this show.”