02 May 2023, Mumbai: Shailesh Lodha, who portrayed the lead character in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (TMKOC) for 14 years, left the show nearly a year ago. However, there are still unresolved issues between him and the show’s producer, Asit Kumarr Modi. The actor recently took legal action against the producer by filing a case before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for non-payment of his dues.
Shailesh Lodha, who portrayed the lead character in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (TMKOC) for 14 years, left the show nearly a year ago. However, there are still unresolved issues between him and the show’s producer, Asit Kumarr Modi. The actor recently took legal action against the producer by filing a case before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for non-payment of his dues.
The production team of the show had hoped that Shailesh would eventually return to the show. However, when this did not happen, they decided to replace him with Sachin Shroff in September of last year. Asit Kumarr Modi, the producer of the show, acknowledged that minor disagreements and conflicts are natural in any long-standing working relationship, just as they can occur in families. Shailesh had expressed a desire to pursue outside work, including participation in poetry gatherings, but given the nature of the daily soap format and the ensemble cast, accommodating his request was not feasible. Asit and Shailesh had a disagreement over this matter in April of last year, after which Shailesh never returned to shoot for the show.
Asit Kumarr Modi expressed his disappointment with Shailesh Lodha’s behaviour following their disagreement. He noted that while Shailesh had spoken about his sense of self-respect, he too had a similar need for dignity. Asit found it unbecoming of Shailesh to target him with his poetry and couplets. He also expressed hurt over their relationship being impacted. Despite this, Asit emphasised that he had never spoken ill of Shailesh and had always respected his work. Asit had taken a risk by entrusting Shailesh with the responsibility of playing the lead role despite him not being an actor, but a minor conflict caused Shailesh’s behaviour to turn negative. Asit mentioned that he was saddened when anyone left the show, but it was Shailesh who decided to quit, and the production team had even offered him a three-month notice period.
However, Shailesh refused to meet and complete the necessary paperwork and formalities, and instead filed a case. Asit pointed out that the show had many people working on it for over 15 years, and if there were any issues with payments, they could have been resolved through communication. He found it strange that people spoke well of the show while working on it but turned negative when they left.
Shailesh Lodha declined to comment on the case since it is currently being heard by the court. However, he clarified that he was an established poet before joining Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah and had worked in other TV shows such as Waah Waah, Comedy Circus, and Kya Baat Hai. Shailesh also stated that he did not approach Asit Modi to cast him for the show. He intends to respond to Asit’s claims and present all relevant documents at the appropriate time.