Taarak Mehta no more: Disha Vakani laments the death of the literary stalwart

Disha Vakani mourns the death of noted Gujarathi playwright, Taarak Mehta

By Urmimala Banerjee
Published: March 1, 2017 5:10 PM IST

Taarak Mehta, the noted Gujarati columnist and writer passed away today in Ahmedabad. He was 87. The death has been condoled by the cast of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah and many others including Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. The team is planning a special episode for him. Taarak Mehta's column Duniya Ne Undha Chasma was the inspiration behind the superhit sitcom, Duniya Ne Udhna Chashmah. He also wrote six Gujarati plays. He created a buzz in the world of literature from his first write-up in the Chitralekha magazine. Naturally, the team of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah is very unhappy. The show stars Dilip Joshi, Disha Vakani, Munmun Dutta and Shailesh Lodha in main roles. It airs on SAB TV. Also Read - Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah: Munmun Dutta aka Babita ji shares BTS video of Chalu Pandey from the sets; fans ask, 'Jetha ji kaha hai?'

Actress Disha Vakani who plays Dayaben in the hit sitcom told us, "This is a huge loss for us. I am still in shock. Taarak Mehta was living in Ahmedabad for a few years and even my hometown is in that city. He was a very spirited and jovial person. Though it was tough for him to walk he made it a point to attend all our anniversary celebrations. We cannot thank him enough. It is indeed a sad moment for us." Also Read - Harshad Chopda of Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, Paras Kalnawat in Anupamaa: Stars who left Top TV shows midway

Also Read - Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah: Former director Malav Rajda calls most of the actors from the show 'chameleons'

Shailesh Lodha who plays Taarak Mehta on the show told Bollywood Life, “His death has left a huge void in our lives. It will be tough to replace him and this vacuum that has been created. Taarak Mehta’s death is a great loss not only for the Gujarati community but for India’s literary circuit. It is a loss for readers, a loss for the literary community who looked upto him for inspiration. I am yet to get over this news.”

In a statement to DNA, Dilip Joshi who plays Jethalal on the show said, “I just heard the news. We are also busy finishing our episodes and suddenly we got to know he’s no more. It’s extremely sad. But we knew he was not keeping well. It’s also mostly because of old age. He was suffering a lot especially in the last few months . But this news has shocked the entire team. Everyone is extremely sad now.”

Well, it is indeed a sad moment for the whole cast. Our condolences to Taarak Mehta's family. Stay tuned to Bollywood Life for more scoop and updates....

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ByUrmimala Banerjee
Published: March 1, 2017 5:10 PM IST