From Palak Sindhwani to Shailesh Lodha, Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal and others: Popular Taarak Mehta stars who left the show alleging unpaid dues, mental harassment and exploitation

Palak Sindhwani recently confirmed her exit from popular TV show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah. She made some shocking revelations and accused the makers of exploitation and mental harassment. Over the years many Taarak Mehta actors left the show over similar reasons. Here’s a sneak peek:-

In an exclusive interview with Times of India TV, Palak Sindhwani, who portrayed Sonu Bhide in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, accused the show's makers of mistreating and threatening her. She revealed that the situation caused her to cry in her makeup room. Palak also stated that the production house had not paid her dues while still asking her to continue working. Discussing the controversy surrounding the exclusivity contract and the harassment she faced, Palak said, "They never discussed any exclusivity contract with me, but as soon as I expressed my desire to leave the show in August, the exploitation began. They likely thought I wouldn’t wait until May to leave, so they started treating me unfairly. The exploitation reached its peak when they accused me of breaching the contract. I was affected by the media reports, but I didn’t stay silent. I kept asking when I could officially resign. It was emotionally draining—I was hurt inside and mentally affected. I would cry in my makeup room and then pull myself together for the shots."

Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal was the first to openly accuse Asit Modi and the production house. She accused the production of sexual and mental harassment. While she hasn’t announced any new projects yet, the actress remains active on social media, regularly sharing inspiring messages with her followers.

Neha Mehta, known for her role as Anjali in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, left the show in 2020, much to the surprise of her fans. Initially citing personal reasons, she later disclosed that her dues were not cleared by the show's makers. Although she has been away from television for a couple of years, she has appeared in a Gujarati film.

Gurucharan Singh, who left Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah in 2020 due to payment issues, has not returned to television since his exit. However, he remains active on social media and runs his own YouTube channel.

Shailesh Lodha, who quit the longest-running show of his career, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, in 2022, had opened up about the reason for leaving the show. The popular poet-turned-actor revealed in an interview with a YouTube channel that his disputes with the makers were never about money; it was always about his self-respect. He accused Taarak producer Asit Kumarr Modi of speaking to him in an uncultured manner, which pushed him to decide to leave the show. Shailesh Lodha narrated the entire situation in the interview and revealed that the makers attempted to arm-twist the issue when he submitted his resignation.

Priya Ahuja Rajda, known for her role as Rita Reporter on Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, opened up in an interview with ETimes TV about the challenges faced by the show's artists. While she acknowledged that she didn’t experience any misbehavior on set, her concern centered around the limited scope of her role after her marriage. She recalled being told by Asit Modi, "Why do you need to work? Malav is working, right?"

Monika Bhadoriya is another actress who departed from the show a couple of years ago, citing behavioral and financial issues with the production team. She had given multiple interviews addressing these concerns. On the work front, Monika has been busy traveling and participating in glamorous photoshoots.