From Shailesh Lodha’s fight over unpaid dues to Gurucharan Singh aka Sodhi’s missing case: Times when Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah made headlines

Popular TV show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah has often been in the news. While fans love its fun and entertaining episodes, the actors of the show have been making headlines for several other reasons as well. From Shailesh Lodha’s fight over unpaid dues to Gurucharan Singh aka Sodhi’s missing case, the list has been long. Here’s a look at times when the show made headlines:

After an amazing 16-year journey, Kush Shah said goodbye to his iconic role as Goli in the popular sitcom Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah in 2024. For fans, an era had come to an end when the show cast a new actor to play the role. Cast members and creator Asit Kumarr Modi attended the heartfelt farewell. Shah thanked everyone in attendance for their unwavering love and the priceless memories he had made over the years.

Former Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah actor Gurucharan Singh, known for his role as Sodhi, made headlines when he was reported missing on April 22, 2024. It happened after he failed to board a flight from Delhi to Mumbai. Later, his father, Harjit Singh, filed a missing person’s complaint. After nearly a month, Gurucharan returned home on May 18 and revealed in an exclusive interview with Bombay Times that he had voluntarily embarked on a spiritual journey due to overwhelming personal struggles. He shared that the pandemic, failed business ventures, financial troubles, and a prolonged property dispute had left him mentally and emotionally disturbed, leading him to disconnect from the outside world in search of peace and clarity.

Palak Sindhwani, aka the former Sonu Bhide in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, made shocking allegations of mental harassment against the show’s makers. She left the show midway while claiming mental harassment by the makers. Before leaving the show, she said, “Only I know how I managed the last 6-7 days. They call me to shoots and make me sit for 12 hours, even though my actual work only takes 30 minutes.”

Shailesh Lodha, best known for playing Taarak Mehta in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah left everyone shocked when he made an exit from the show after 14 years. He took legal action against producer Asit Kumarr Modi over non-payment of dues. The actor filed a case with the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in March 2023 under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. While Lodha claimed the fight was about justice and self-respect rather than money, Asit maintained that the delay was due to Shailesh not completing exit formalities. The matter was eventually resolved in May 2023 when Modi cleared the dues via demand draft.

Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal, known for her role as Roshan Sodhi in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, had once accused the show’s producer, Asit Kumar Modi, of sexual harassment. The actress made an exit from the show midway and accused the producer of mental and sexual harassment. The news came out as a huge shock for the fans of the show. Her allegations also encouraged other cast members, like Monika Bhadoriya and Priya Ahuja Rajda, to speak out about mistreatment on set.

Known for her portrayal of Bawri in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, Monika Bhadoriya has leveled grave accusations against Asit Kumarr Modi, the show’s producer, and his production crew. She alleges that her three-month dues, which totaled between ₹4 and ₹5 lakhs, were withheld for more than a year after she left the show in 2019. Bhadoriya claims that Modi threatened to destroy her career and keep her from working in Mumbai, particularly when she was coping with her mother’s cancer diagnosis.