21th April 2023, Mumbai: Shailesh Lodha, the actor who portrayed the main character in the popular TV series Taarak Mehta ka Ooltah Chashmah (TMKOC), filmed his final scene in April of last year after a disagreement with the show’s creator Asit Modi. As we reported in January, Lodha had been waiting for more than six months to receive payment for over a year of work. The latest news is that Lodha has opted to seek legal assistance to resolve the matter.
In the initial days of March, it came to our attention that Shailesh Lodha took legal action against Asit Modi regarding the payment owed to him and filed a complaint. Furthermore, Lodha filed a lawsuit against Modi’s production company. Lodha also initiated a corporate insolvency resolution under section 9 as Modi was unable to clear his debts, and he contacted the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). The hearing for the case is scheduled to take place in May.
When we approached Shailesh Lodha regarding the matter, the actor declined to comment on it, stating that the issue is under the court’s jurisdiction.
Asit Modi, on the other hand, cited that he is travelling and could not comment on the matter. However, Sohil Ramani, the project head of TMKOC, contacted us later and said that they have already requested Lodha, who they consider as part of their family, to visit their office and sign the necessary paperwork to receive his pending payment. Ramani also emphasised that they have never denied or refused to pay Lodha. He added that it is a standard company procedure for employees to sign the full and final papers before receiving complete payment upon leaving the company. Ramani further stated that they are not pursuing any case against Lodha as they have already informed him to collect his dues and complete the necessary paperwork.