Arvind Vaidya, who is seen as Hasmukh, aka Babuji, in Anupamaa, has been a part of the entertainment industry for six decades now, and this year he was conferred with the Padma Shri Award. The veteran actor is still soaking in the feeling and revealed how the news came to him.He said, “Usually, the 25th of the month (January) doesn’t hold much significance because it wasn’t my birthday, or my wife’s birthday, or my children’s birthdays. It was just a normal day and was passing by normally. However, a call came in the morning; my children had told me not to pick up unknown numbers, especially now that I am older. I didn’t pick up the first two times, but when it rang a third time, I thought, ‘Let’s see who it is.‘ The person on the other end said they were calling from the Ministry of Home Affairs in Delhi and even gave their name. I was a bit startled and asked what it was about. They asked, ‘Is it Arvind-ji?’ and I said, ‘Yes.’ What they said next left me speechless and utterly stunned.”“They told me that I was being awarded the Padma Shri this year and asked if it was acceptable to me. For a few seconds, I couldn’t say a word. Once the news sank in, I wondered why they even asked; who wouldn’t accept such a massive honor? I immediately said, ‘Yes, absolutely, I accept it.’ From that moment, the whole narrative changed; a new chapter of my life began,” he added.He shared that he feels great, as though his work has always been appreciated; this was like an icing on the cake. He said, “I have been working in theater, TV, and occasionally films for the last 60 years. I was working even before TV existed. I’ve seen many ups and downs, but it has all been good. This award, however, is the crowning achievement. I never expected to receive this; my only expectation was to receive the love of my audience, which I have always received in abundance.“Arvind has not only made a good name in terms of his work but has also maintained a good relationship with everyone he has worked with. “I have no complaints about life. I have a wonderful wife, good children, and very good friends. Even the producers I worked with in theater, cinema, or TV became my friends; there isn’t a single one I’m not on good terms with. I have no complaints in life, not even with my wife, and there couldn’t be any, as she has been with me for the last 60 years,” he said, adding that he only has two passions—acting and his wife.“I cannot function without either of them. Receiving the Padma Shri is a matter of great fortune and feels wonderful. For this, I first thank God, then my gurus who are no longer here, Rambhau Joshi and Jaswant Thakar, who shaped me and prepared me through rigorous training. I also thank my wife, my children, my friends, and everyone who played a part in my development, and especially the Government of India,” he said.Rajan Shahi is extremely proud of Arvind and said that it is a proud moment for the entire team of Anupamaa. “I am really proud that he is being awarded while he has been playing such a pivotal character in Anupamaa for more than five and a half years, and it’s always a great learning experience when you work with him,” he said.“I call him the youngest actor in Anupama because the energy and enthusiasm and discipline he has is unbelievable. He has so much to learn and teach, and he is full of stories. You are awestruck by the stories of his struggle and how he kept his discipline and survived over the years,” he added.Rupali Ganguly, who plays the titular character in Anupamaa, shares the same feeling. She said, “I have known him since Sarabhai days, so I keep calling him Padma Shri Bapuji. And whenever he does masti on the set, I keep teasing him like, ‘Now you are Padma Shri, behave yourself.’ So earlier he was Jayshree’s Arvind Vaidya; now he is Padma Shri Arvind Vaidya. So we are very proud. It’s a great moment for us to have somebody with the highest civilian honor amongst us. And I can’t get over it.”She also spoke about late actor Satish Shah, who has been posthumously given the honor. She said, “It was long overdue. We used to always tell him that ‘Kaka, you deserve Padma Shri; you deserve Padma Shri more than anybody else’ because of his body of work and his contribution to cinema and to the variety of roles and the kind of actor he was and the kind of person he was. However much I talk about Satish Shah, it is less. I mean, for me, he was a father figure, and he meant a lot to me.““I really wish to God that he would have gotten this when he was there to see it. But thank you so much, Indian Government, for honoring two of my besties, Satish Kaka and Arvind Uncle, with this very honorable award, and I feel so proud that they are two of my closest people who will be receiving it,” Rupali added.
