Shyam Pathak is the actor who plays the role of Popal Lal in historical and popular Indian television serial Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah. Every character of TMKOC is widely known due to the fame and rich legacy it carries, but the character of Popat Lal stands out the most. Since 2008, right from the very beginning of the show, Shyam Pathak has been working as Popat Lal. In this biography we will explore Shyam Pathak AKA Popat Lal real name, age, height, wife, and much more.
Popat Lal Real Name
Shyam Pathak is the real name of the person who plays Popat Lal in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah. Shyam is 49 years old as of 2025, as he was born on 6 June 1976 in Chorwad, India. Leaving his knowns aside, he has been called in public as Popat Lal.
| Name | Shyam Pathak |
| Age | 49 |
| Born | 6 June 1976 |
| Birth Place | Chorwad, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Ethnicity | Brown |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Profession | Actor |
Popat Lal Height & Physical Stats
Shyam Pathak’s height stands at 5 feet and 7 inches tall. Shyam’s weight is 66 kg. He is a slim man, having black eyes and hair.
Shyam’s Early Life
Shyam Pathak comes from a Gujarati family. In fact, he was born in Gujarat’s Chorwad but was raised in Ghatkopar, Mumbai.
He was brought up in a humble background. For the first 25 years of his life, he lived in a small 180‑square‑foot chawl with his elder sister and parents. However, he has not shared the name of his father, mother and elder sister; who is married.
Shyam now lives in a luxury flat, but his childhood was filled with a great amount of struggle.
Education
Shyam Pathak is a well-educated actor. From Maniben Dharamsy Bhatia English Medium High School in Mumbai, he got the basic education.
He then earned Bachelor of Commerce degree from K. J. Somaiya College of Arts and Commerce, which is a famous education institution of Mumbai. Shyam’s mother had the dream of seeing his son becoming a Chartered Accountant.
However, his passion for acting made leave the Chartered Accountancy education despite passing the entrance test to become an actor.
Is Popat Laal married in real life?
Yes, Popat Lal is married in real life. In fact, Shyam married to Reshami Pathak in 2003, even before starting career in TMKOC. Together they are the parents of 3 kids whose names are Niyati Pathak (girl) and Parth and Shivam Pathak (boys). Currently, Pathak family lives in Mumbai.
Popat Lal plays the role of an unmarried journalist in Taarak Mehta, where they have played many plots where he gets close to getting married but something uncertain happens and then he remains single.
The show has pictured him as a man who wants to get married. This is why the fans of the show have query to know if Shyam Pathak (aka Popat Lal) is married.
| Relation | Name |
|---|---|
| Wife | Reshami Pathak |
| Daughter | Niyati Pathak |
| Son | Parth and Shivam Pathak |
Professional Career
Shyam Pathak’s long career as an actor has been spent on television. Other than TMKOC, he was seen working as an actor in Jasuben Jayantilaal Joshi Ki Joint Family from 2008 to 2009 and Sukh by Chance in 2009.
As a part of CID-Taarak Mehta collaboration in 2014, Shyam acted in CID TV show.
Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (2008 To Present)
Shyam Pathak entered the show as Popat Lal in 2008. Since then, he has been a long-standing pillar of the high-profile TV series.
Popat Lal is shown as a front-footed journalist, who is keen to get married. There have been several series of episodes where he was shown to be a married man. But something happens and he remains single. It is the fundamental reason behind this character becoming famous.
Shyam Pathak’s impact in TMKOC is such that general people know him as Popat Lal. And they are even concerned if he is married in off screen life. Shyam catchphrase in “Duniya Hila Dunga”. His full name on the TMKOC show is “Patrakar Popatlal”.
The show has given him a way to become rich, coming out lower-middleclass background.
Social Media Appearance
Shyam Pathak is active on Instagram, with organic 264k plus followers on Instagram. Not only the post related to the show, but he posts pictures and videos of his personal life.
- Instagram: @shyampathak01
Net Worth
The net worth of Shyam Pathak has seen major contributions from the Taarak Mehta show. As of 2025, his net worth is INR 15 cr. As he is still the part of the iconic show, the earnings are likely to grow only. He is the first millionaire (USD) from his family.
Shyam Pathak’s Trivia
- Shyam Pathak’s hobbies are reading books, geopolitics (information) and traveling.
- He has several television awards for his role as Popat Lal.
- Shyam is a massive cricket fan, with a decent interest in Football (soccer).
- In December 2021, he featured with Kaun Banega Crorepati show, hosted by legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan.
- Shyam is well-versed in Hindi, English, Gujarati and Marathi.
- In July 2021, he gave a motivational speech at Hansraj College’s TED X event.
FAQs
Shyam Pathak/Popat Lal is married to Reshami Pathak in 2003.
Shyam Pathak (aka Poptal Lal) lives in a flat in Mumbai.
The producers of TMKOC have shared no plans of making Poptal Lal getting married. As it offers the show good TRP, he might never get married.
Read Other TMKOC Cast Biography: Gurucharan Singh & Munmun Dutta
