Journalist-playwright Taarak Mehta, whose column “Duniye Ne Oondha Chashma†for a Gujarati magazine inspired popular sitcom ‘Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah’, passed away this morning after a prolonged illness. Tarak, 87, wasn’t keeping well from the past three-four months. He died in Ahmedabad, confirmed actor Dilip Joshi, who plays Jethalal Champaklal Gada on the show.
Dilip Joshi told a leading daily, this morning,
“We are shooting right now and just a few minutes ago, we got this news. He wasn’t well. It is not easy for us to shoot right now… I was a huge fan of Tarak bhai. I grew up reading his columns and then even acted in plays. So, I had a long association with him. I was in touch with him in his last months as well. Every time I used to go to Ahmedabad, I used to meet him. Even though physically he was very weak, his wit and humor were intact.”
Shailesh Lodha who plays Taarak Mehta on the show told a leading entertainment portal,
“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.â€
His humorous column first appeared in Chitralekha in March 1971. Taarak Mehta has also written six popular Gujarati plays. He was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, in 2015. The show’s producer, Asit Modi, who also shared a close bond with the acclaimed writer will go to Ahmedabad to meet Tarak’s family. He was quoted saying,
“He was quite old. So, there were many age-related problems. This doesn’t come as a shock but of course is very saddening as I was close to him. I met him just last month. I will probably fly to Ahmedabad today.”
Tarak Mehta is survived by his wife, daughter and two grandsons.
