Like most of the millennials and Gen Zs, I also grew up watching Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah with my family. I may not be a regular now but it has a soft spot in my heart. So, when the controversy around Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah went viral, I was shook.
A lot has happened in the TMKOC universe in just a few days. It all started when Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal best known for her role as Roshan Singh Sodhi alleged that producer Asit Modi made sexual advances towards her. She spoke about the same on social media. The actress shared, “Asit Modi has made sexual advances towards me many times in the past. Initially, I ignored all his statements because of fear of losing out on work. But it is enough now and I won’t take it anymore.”
Jennifer Files Case Against TMKOC Producer
Jennifer has also filed a complaint against Asit Modi, project Head Sohail Ramani and executive producer, Jatin Bajaj. The actress claimed that on March 7, 2023, the producers of the show didn’t let her leave and that’s why she had to quit the show. “I was asked to get off the sets four times by Sohail Ramani and the executive producer tried to stop my car by standing behind it and was not allowing me to leave the sets. I told them I worked on the show for 15 years and they couldn’t forcefully stop me and while I was leaving Sohil threatened me. I have filed a case of sexual harassment against Asit Kumarr Modi, Sohail Ramani, and Jatin Bajaj,” said Jennifer.
Following Jennifer’s accusations, Asit claimed that all the allegations are ‘baseless’. He issued a statement that reads, “We’ll take legal action as she’s trying to defame me and the show both. Since we terminated her services, she’s making these invalid allegations.”
Meanwhile, the project head of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah Sohil Ramani also dismissed Jenniefer’s allegations. In an interview he said, “We have ignored her characteristics such as creating rifts among others, coming two hours late for the shoot, creating misunderstandings. We have a lot of evidence against her.” Sohil claimed that Jennifer is playing ‘woman card’
Former TMKOC Team Members Support Jennifer
Jennifer’s allegations have resonated with a few former members of the show. Malav Rajda, who directed Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah for 14 years jumped to support her. He said that the actress was always disciplined on the sets of the show. That’s not all, Monika Bhadoriya, who played Bawari in the show, also accused the makers of the show of bullying the actors. In an interview, she said, “They do not value females. If a female actor is done with her shoot, they ask them to stay back. They try to finish the male actor’s shoot first. Come what may, they do not value females there.”
Did Disha Vakani Left TMKOC For The Same Reason?
It has been over three years since Disha Vakani, better known as Daya ben left the show. While she said that she wants to focus on her daughter and husband, Monika made a different claim. In an interaction with a leading daily Monika alleged that Asit must have misbehaved with her and that’s why she is not making a comeback. The actress said, “She does not want to come back. Nobody wants to come back to this show.”
It takes a lot of courage to speak up about sexual harassment and women like Jennifer and Monika are living examples of it. While only the Indian judicial system will uncover the whole truth, it is shocking to see how a show that talks so much about women empowerment has so many skeletons under the carpet. What a shame!
Feature Image: Instagram
