Aasif Sheikh says viewers enjoy watching him transform into a woman on screen

Mumbai, April 9 (IANS) TV and film actor Aasif Sheikh, who rose to fame as Vibhuti Narayan Mishra in 'Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai', said that he enjoys transforming into female characters on screen and even the audience loves to watch this transformation. He also shared the challenges of playing a character half his age in the show.

Aasif said: "My character Vibhuti Narayan Mishra takes me back to my younger days. It brings out the best in me; it makes me feel 35-years-young (not old) at 55. Honestly, for me, age is just a number. I don't want to tell people my back is aching or I'm not feeling up to it at the shoot. I want to be fit enough to take on any challenge at any given time, like a 30-year-old."

On the challenges of playing a character who is not of his age is physical fitness and he focuses on that.

"My mantra for survival is fitness, and being consistent is the key. I look fit and young as I follow a strict regime that clearly shows how I look and appear. Health is extremely important, and so is eating right and sleeping. And I am quite disciplined. Firstly, getting at least six to eight hours of sleep is critical. Additionally, I eat balanced meals and don't overeat. Exercise is vital; hence, I do breathing exercises while travelling to my sets in my car. I have eliminated sugar from my life and do workouts."

Aasif acted in a number of TV shows such as 'Hum Log', 'Yug', 'Yes Boss', 'CID','Chidiya Ghar', among others. He was also seen in movies such as 'Karan Arjun', 'The Don', 'Jodi No. 1', 'Paheli', 'Mehbooba', and others.

The actor further talked about 'Bhabiji..' and said that on the show, a number of times he donned the look of a female character and maybe it can be challenging for many male actors, but he thoroughly enjoyed playing such a role in the show.

"I enjoy playing female characters. And I don't think essaying a woman's character on screen is not that challenging but quite entertaining. As a viewer, seeing a man transform into a woman is always fun. And I feel I look great as a woman. I have all shapes and sizes of clothes required to become a woman stored in my make-up room."

He added further: "I played women of all ages on this show, which was initially challenging and worthwhile. Our endeavour has always been to entertain our audience with something new and refreshing. Therefore, we keep researching, brainstorming and creating amusing and entertaining characters to keep the audience hooked. The audience loves and enjoys watching each character, encouraging me to keep exploring more and strive to outdo myself every time."