Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 6, 2014)

Sanskari Alok Nath who has become an unwitting social media phenomenon, debunks his popular image, saying that he had his share of crazy parties and drunken escapades. Hard to believe? Read on!
 
When did you learn that you were an overnight sensation on Twitter? My kids told me about it, and then some friends started calling wondering if I was unwell. I checked some of the jokes myself and found them to be hilarious though I wondered about those who had so much time to invest on me. (Laughs) I’ve taken them with a pinch of salt and maybe a shot of vodka!
 
You drink vodka? According to one of the jokes you are so sanskari that you went to Vaishnodevi for your bachelor party… (Guffaws) I didn’t have a bachelor party, but even if I did, I wouldn’t go to Vaishnodevi! I’ve been to all the Dhaams, Tirupati, Shirdi, most of the temples in the Northern belt, but I go there for religious reasons. Pilgrimages are not my idea of fun!
 
So what is Alok Nath’s idea of fun? I’m a chilled out dude. When I was younger I did some pretty wild things with the limited options I had. I had some crazy friends, girlfriends too. We had our share of parties and drunken escapades as well.

Once when in college I ran out of money and had to sleep at a bus stop. It was fun as all of us on Delhi’s Hindu College campus, were happy children of the Beatles’ generation.

Now, I spend my evenings with the children, watch movies, go for holidays and have a few drinks on the side.
 
Do you feel trapped in the Babuji image? Does anyone call you Babuji? After playing a patriarch in Ramesh Sippy’s tele saga Buniyaad, I got slotted as the good father. A couple of times I experimented with negative roles but they didn’t work for me and I went back to playing the good old Babuji. No, I don’t feel trapped. Babuji has helped me pay my bills! (Laughs) And no, I’m only called babuji in films and serials. At home, I’m the cool daddy, the doting papa!
 
So what would you like to say to the Twitterati who have trolled you online? Mera aashirwaad unke saath hai! But please spare me now. I guess now they have found Arvind Kejriwal, haven’t they? 

Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 1, 2014)

Alok Nath is amused by the fact that he’s been trending on the social networking site Twitter for the last two days. “I think it’s wonderful to be in the news and I am enjoying it. I don’t know what the reason is. Perhaps Hum Saath-Saath Hain (1999) was being aired and someone decided to pick on a dialogue about sanskaar (culture) and that’s how the trend began,” says Nath.

The actor, who doesn’t mind being joked about, says, “My kids told me about these tweets. So I asked them if it was good or bad news. They said some people love to tease celebrities and pull their leg. I am fine with it. In fact, I read many jokes and liked most of them. People have done extensive research and there are many good comments.”

The actor says he also noted down some of the jokes he liked, including, “When Alok Nath was born, the doctor said ‘Badhai ho, aapke ghar babuji paida huwe hai’ and Alok Nath carried Hanuman Chalisa to school instead of notebooks.”