Anant V Joshi On Replacing Vaibhav Raj Gupta In Gullak Season 5: ‘My Intention Was Never To Mimic Somebody’

The return of the highly acclaimed family drama series Gullak for its fifth season on Sony LIV has brought immensely relatable middle-class stories back to Indian viewers, but it has also triggered widespread discussion due to a major structural shift in its primary cast. Actor Anant V Joshi, widely recognized for his impressive performances in projects like 12th Fail and Maamla Legal Hai, has officially stepped into the iconic shoes of Anand Mishra, popularly known as Annu Bhaiya, replacing actor Vaibhav Raj Gupta who brilliantly essayed the beloved character for the first four seasons. Addressing the massive weight of taking over a role deeply woven into the hearts of millions of loyal fans, Anant V Joshi candidly shared that his core creative approach was built on creating an authentic trajectory for the character rather than imitating his predecessor. The actor firmly stated that his intention was never to mimic somebody or simply copy how someone else had previously played the part because he strongly believes that the true essence of a well-defined character always resides primarily within the depth of the writing itself.

The transition process was meticulously handled behind the scenes to preserve the show’s signature emotional warmth while letting the characters organically evolve. Anant V Joshi revealed that the massive casting transition did not simply manifest on the very first day of shooting, explaining that the creative team underwent a highly rigorous preparatory phase long before walking onto the actual set. The production team organized multiple rounds of script readings and extensive collaborative discussions with the show’s creators to ensure that everyone felt entirely confident and aligned before moving forward with such a monumental creative decision. For the fifth season, Annu Mishra is portrayed navigating a completely new chapter of life where he steps out into the demanding corporate landscape, enduring professional rejections and discovering the stark realities of the external world. Anant noted that while he infused this mature, world-weary growth into Annu’s external life, he made a conscious effort to strictly retain the familiar, endearing household traits that fans have always loved, ensuring that Annu remains the same comforting presence whenever he interacts with his family inside the Mishra residence.

Stepping into such a tightly-knit, legendary on-screen family could have been a daunting hurdle, but Anant V Joshi felt an immediate sense of profound belonging due to his own personal roots. The actor shared that he grew up watching the series as a dedicated fan, finding it deeply nostalgic because his own real-life household perfectly mirrored the middle-class setup of the show, complete with a father in a government job, a homemaker mother, and a brother. Joining the cast felt less like an intimidating professional task and more like an exciting homecoming, since the typical conversations shown in the series closely resembled his own family dining room banter. Co-star Harsh Mayar, who portrays the younger brother Aman Mishra, acknowledged that the casting change placed immense pressure on the entire ensemble to deliver outstanding performances so that the legendary sibling chemistry and comedic timing remained completely uncompromised. Rather than relying on spontaneous improvisation as done in previous seasons, Harsh and Anant spent long hours discussing scenes together to forge an unshakeable connection, which ultimately helped preserve the beloved soul of the franchise while confidently presenting its brand new skin.