The mere mention of the veteran actor Shahbaaz Khan’s name conjures the image of a powerful antagonist. With his towering personality, deep baritone and intense, brooding eyes, Shahbaaz is a formidable villain that most heroes turn pale in front of!

This time, however, the actor is all set to play a positive role in Zee TV’s Neeli Chatri Waale. In the light-hearted drama, the actor will don the look of Sabji Wala with a simple dhoti and Kurta, a big departure from anything he’s been seen as!

Speaking on his comeback, Shahbaaz says, “I am always on the lookout for challenging roles. Neeli Chatri Waale is a light hearted show and I am playing the role of a former dacoit Mahadev who has left the crime scene for good and has been allotted a quarter and a vegetable cart for making a living. Viewers have always liked me as a villain and hope I will be able to do full justice to this character as playing the role of a Sabji Wala is a first for me. It was really fun to shoot with fine actors like Rajesh Kumar, Himanshu Soni.  Working with producer Ashwini Dheer is a privilege of course.”

The light-hearted drama that has struck a chord through its unique concept of a friendship between man and God has recently completed 100 successful episodes. The conversations between its lead protagonist Bhagwan Das (played by Rajesh Kumar), the quintessential common man and a modern-day Lord Shivaye (played by Himanshu Soni) wielding the blue umbrella bring a smile to the viewers’ faces. The cast and crew of the show celebrated the success of the show with a cake cutting.

In the Sunday special episode, inspector Jija purchases pumpkin from former dacoit-turned-vegetable vendor Mahadev Singh’s cart and refuses to pay money for the same, following which Mahadev decides to teach Inspector Jija a lesson. Will Mahadev again turn a decoit or will Shivaye teach a lesson to Jija?