Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (TMKOC), one of India’s longest-running and most beloved television shows, has once again been surrounded by speculation about cast departures.
Recent rumours claimed that two of the show’s key actors — Dilip Joshi, who plays Jethalal, and Munmun Dutta, who portrays Babita — were planning to quit the show. However, the show’s producer Asit Kumarr Modi has now addressed the matter, calling the rumours baseless.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
In an interview with Moneycontrol, Modi refuted the reports and criticised the negativity spread on social media. “As you know, social media these days has become so negative that one should focus on staying positive. Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah is a positive, family-friendly show that spreads happiness. Spreading false information or making inappropriate claims is not right,” he said.
Modi clarified that both actors remain part of the show’s team. “There’s no such issue. Everyone is still part of our team. They were absent due to personal reasons,” he said, further quashing exit rumours.
Speculation about the actors’ departure began when both Dilip Joshi and Munmun Dutta were noticeably absent from the show’s current ‘Bhootni’ storyline, which features several characters vacationing at a haunted bungalow. While characters such as Popatlal, Bapuji, Sodhi, Taarak Mehta, and Anjali were seen in the track, Jethalal and Babita have not appeared, prompting fans to question their absence.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
First aired in 2008 on SAB TV, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah is based on the Gujarati column Duniya Ne Undha Chashma by journalist-playwright Taarak Mehta.
The show, created by Asit Modi, revolves around the lives of residents of Gokuldham Society in Mumbai. At its centre is the comedic and endearing Gujarati businessman Jethalal Gada, portrayed by Dilip Joshi.