Remember Rob from MAD? He left TV, moved to Goa, now earns more than ever from art - The Indian Express

For many 90s and 2000s kids, MAD was among their favourite art shows. From making the best out of waste to creating larger-than-life sketches, the Do-It-Yourself show aired every Sunday, teaching us something new and keeping us occupied for the rest of the day. The show became a massive hit, with Rob, aka Harun Robert, becoming a familiar face among children. But after the show stopped airing, have you ever wondered where he went?

Apparently, Harun’s parents wanted him to become a doctor. But destiny had something else planned for him.

Born into a well-educated family, with his father working for Indian Airlines and his grandfather serving at the US Embassy, Harun was expected to sit for the medical entrance examination.

Speaking to Motor Mouth, the artiste said, “My parents wanted me to become a doctor. I was a science student. I had given Medical Entrance Test. Around this time, a friend of mine was joining an arts college and I got excited and I wanted to be there. There was a lot of drama at home. They were very upset, had a proper 3 Idiots scene. They finally got convinced.”

Rob had to give an entrance test to join the College of Art, Delhi.

He added, “Everyone told my father that the test is not so easy. My kids got through it in their second and third attempt after taking special coaching.” Rob did it in his first attempt, shocking his father.

Rob had a year to prove himself, and he did not let his father down. His thirst to learn and perfect his craft soon began to earn him money.

“During that time, I easily made up to Rs 1000,” said Rob on Cyrus Says.

He told Motor Mouth: “When my father saw that I was learning, reading, working and earning all at the same time, he also thought that okay, let it be. End of the day, your parents want your happiness.”

After completing his studies, Harun moved to Bombay. Within a couple of weeks, he heard about a show looking for an artiste — and that opportunity eventually became his iconic Pogo show, MAD.

Speaking on the podcast Cyrus Says, Rob revealed that it took several attempts to convince him to do the show.

“I went to them with a CD of my animation. When they said I also have to face camera, I was like: ‘Okay, bye.’ I left. They called me again. After a lot of calls and push, I went. They gave me a script. I couldn’t do that. I went back again, came back with my own script and props and finally gave an audition. It went well. I panicked when they were shortlisting me. But eventually, I agreed.”

For the longest time, Rob did not realise just how popular he had become. He told Motor Mouth, “We didn’t have social media back then, so I didn’t get to know that I had become popular or the show had become popular for the longest time.”

He added, “When the show started, I didn’t have a television at my own house. I had to go to my friend’s house to see my own show.”

It was only during an event in Chennai that he truly realised he had become a favourite among children.

“After the first season of the show, I went to Chennai for promotion. When I went on stage, hundreds of kids started chanting my name,” he recalled.

His popularity sometimes also put him in amusing and embarrassing situations.

“I go to restaurant, people come to me with a straw and be like: ‘Kuch banake dikhao.’ Sometimes I used to entertain, other times I politely told them no,” he said.

After quitting MAD, Rob moved to Goa, where he now lives with his wife and two children.

“It’s laid-back, quiet and calm. I stayed in Bombay for a very long time and I wanted to move away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. I wanted peace and thanks to internet, I can work from anywhere. My wife is a Goan, so it felt like the best decision,” he said.

Rob added, “I have a wife and two kids and it was our decision to keep them away from public eye and social media. We believe that they don’t need that right now. I stay away from talking about my family.”

Speaking about his finances, Rob said he is making more money than ever.

“I am very blessed as I never have to look for work. I often get work. And fortunately, some of them pay really well. Now, I also do art installations for festivals and events. That is another way I make my money,” he said.

He added, “I can do all of these things because I am not with any channel. If I continued to be with the channels, the contract was such that I couldn’t work outside channel for any brands. Now, the freedom is better and I am earning a lot more today compared to then.”

Today, Rob lives a peaceful, slow-paced life with his family, with his children following what he calls “unschooling”.

“We don’t call it homeschooling, we call it unschooling. We feel it is a more holistic way of teaching. In school, it is all very rigid. I feel it kills the curiosity of a child. At home, we do it in a very playful manner. Like this, they have much more time for other curricular activities, and holidays where they explore new culture,” he said.

While Rob acknowledged that many people believe in the traditional schooling system and clarified that he is not against it, he said it simply does not work for his family.

Rob was also part of Disney’s Imagine That and continues to create content on YouTube and Instagram. Beyond his work on television, he continues to pursue his passion for art through installations, digital content and other creative projects.

Jyothi Jha is an incisive Copy Editor and multi-platform journalist at The Indian Express, where she specializes in high-stakes entertainment reporting and cinematic analysis. With over six years of diverse experience across India’s leading media houses, she brings a rigorous, ethics-first approach to digital storytelling and editorial curation. Experience & Career Jyothi’s career is characterized by its breadth and depth across the media landscape. Before joining the editorial team at The Indian Express, she honed her expertise covering the entertainment beat for premier national broadcasters, including NDTV, Republic Media, and TV9. Her professional journey is not limited to digital text; she has a proven track record as an on-air anchor and has successfully managed production teams within the high-pressure segments of Politics and Daily News. This 360-degree view of newsroom operations allows her to navigate the complexities of modern journalism with veteran precision. Expertise & Focus Areas Guided by the Orwellian principle that "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want you to do," Jyothi focuses on transparent, accountability-driven reporting. Her core areas of expertise include: Cinematic Deconstruction: Analyzing the social subtext of mainstream Bollywood and South Indian cinema (e.g., Kantara, Masaan, Dabangg). Toxic Masculinity & Gender Studies: A vocal critic of regressive tropes in Indian cinema, she often highlights the industry's treatment of women and social progress. Box Office & Industry Economics: Providing data-backed predictions and analysis of film performance and superstar fee structures. Exclusive Multimedia Coverage: Conducting deep-dive interviews and long-form features that bridge the gap between archival history and modern pop culture. Authoritativeness & Trust Jyothi Jha has established herself as a trusted voice by prioritizing substance over PR-driven narratives. Her background in hard news and political production provides her with a unique lens through which she views the entertainment industry—not merely as gossip, but as a reflection of societal values. Readers rely on her for "Journalism of Courage," knowing her critiques are rooted in a deep respect for the craft and a refusal to settle for superficiality. Her ability to pivot between daily news and specialized entertainment analysis makes her a versatile and authoritative pillar of The Indian Express newsroom.   ... Read More