He saves every penny for his family’s future — food on the table, education for his children, and a permanent roof over their heads. That’s the quintessential Indian middle-class father, whose struggles are universally relatable. For Rajendra Chawla, this emotional reality hits especially close to home. Playing Srinivas, a middle-class father who spends decades trying to build a home for his wife and five children in the new daily soap Lakshmi Niwas, is a journey the actor deeply understands. “My character of Srinivas is just like me,” he says. In a candid conversation with mid-day, Chawla explains how his father became his biggest inspiration for the role, his process of portraying Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and why TV storytelling often needs to be melodramatic and loud.

Excerpts from the interview.