‘Gullak’ star Jameel Khan still remembers his father’s words when they argued over a white lie the elder Khan had told when he was young. And they were: “You won’t be able to make it in business.” What he did not know at the time was that his father’s words would turn out to be prophetic and he would go on to chart a different course in Mumbai, far away from the family’s thriving carpet business in Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh.

Interestingly, he found fame while playing Santosh Mishra, a middle class patriarch in popular SonyLIV series ‘Gullak’, which the actor says reflects the upbringing he and many in India have received.

“There are many people of my age, who come from lower middle class and have made a mark for themselves, for whom the show evokes a sense of nostalgia… It’s a show written with a lot of love, served with a lot of love,” Khan told PTI in an interview.

“We are in season four and it is on par with the previous seasons, if not higher. That’s the love of the audience, they have related so wonderfully with the show,” the actor said about the TVF-produced show that revolves around the daily life of the Mishra family, living in a nondescript Uttar Pradesh city.

Khan was born in an upper middle-class business family from Bhadohi, home to the largest hand-knotted carpet weaving industry hub in South Asia. Much like everyone else in the town, his father was also in the same business, specialising in Persian designs. He describes it as a “simple but happy and privileged background”.

Khan, who did his schooling from Nainital’s Sherwood College and completed his graduation from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and masters from the University of Mumbai, said whatever he has achieved in life is because of his parents and their upbringing, which gave him a strong sense of morality.

The shift to Mumbai came as a culture shock for the actor. “Raising one’s voice is something that’s frowned upon in our house. No abusive language or ‘tu-tadak’ (informal) at all. Then, I came to Bombay, which is culturally a very different place. So, (I would be shocked) when people would refer to me using words like ‘tu’ or ‘tum’… But I understood that’s how the language is here. I speak to my children using ‘aap’… I feel everybody deserves respect whether they are younger or junior to you,” he said.

For many viewers who love ‘Gullak’, he is Santosh Mishra, the affable, honest father stuck in a dead-end government job. But the 49-year-old’s career is filled with several milestones, whether it’s his feature debut with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’ in 1999, ‘Baby’ or his small but memorable role in ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, directed by Anurag Kashyap.

Khan credits his love for theatre for leading him to Mumbai, where he found a window into the entertainment world through veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah’s theatre group Motley.

“I used to ignore films thinking I’ll take one up only when it’s a good one and on my terms. I’ll do theatre first, then films. Theatre was my first priority. When I got married, I realised I had to shoulder responsibilities, so I could no longer ignore films. I had to earn money. I started doing more films and then OTT happened,” he explained.

Then came ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’. Working with director Anurag Kashyap was another experience for Khan, who said he got “a lot of scope to play” while essaying the role of Asghar Khan, the sworn cousin of Manoj Bajpayee’s Sardar Khan.

There are many breakout performances for the actor across mediums, ‘Gullak’ being the latest.