New Delhi: For "Mrs Pammi Pyarelal", Gaurav Gera dons sequinned and zari saris, pads up his derriere and even tries daring colours like blue for the lips and green for the nails. If he is making heads turn as a glamorous woman in the TV show, he is also making new fashion trends, which women are following.
If the likes of Kishore Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan donned the garb of a woman on the big screen, several stand-up comedians like Ali Asgar, Krushna Abhishek and Sunil Grover tickled the funny bones of the audiences in their woman avatar.
But what stand-up comedian-actor Gaurav has achieved, none could do. He receives tweets from women appreciating his style ever since the show went on air in mid-July.
"Someone wrote to me, 'I am following your saris' and there was this other girl who posted - 'I love the cut of your blouse'," Gaurav told IANS.
Mostly remembered as geeky Nandu of "Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin", Gaurav is okay with displaying different kinds of emotions on the screen, but there are a few things he would never do.
"I think that my family is watching, so I can't do something I am not proud of. I would never endorse tobacco or go nude," he said.
Meanwhile, Gaurav is taking appreciation in his stride and asserts he is not doing anything new.
"When women were not even part of the acting industry, men used to do their roles. Men have played Sita in 'Ram Leela'. It is not a new trend. It's always been there," he said.
He may make many roll with laughter as Mrs Pammi Pyarelal, but said it's not easy to essay the role.
"I don't dress up like a woman the whole day because I also play Param. But there are days when I have to wear female costumes for long hours and it's not easy. I am not used to wearing something on my chest," said Gaurav.
"The heavy work on the saris bites into my skin and they are free flowing, so I struggle a lot. It's difficult to play a glamorous woman. I have a flat a**, so I need to pad it up," said the actor.
But he was proud of himself when the promos were aired on Colors and said: "I asked myself how can I know every expression of a girl and look so hot?"
Gaurav, also a part of musical comedy show "Jhumroo" that is staged at the Kingdom of Dreams in Gurgaon, Haryana, doesn't take his character home.
"Acting is my job. I don't take it home. The characters that I play are only on reel, not real," he said.
But he was worried about his family's reaction when the promos hit the small screen.
"I couldn't explain to them before the show started, but now my cousins are proud of me. My parents are getting calls from places saying that the show is good," said Gaurav.
