New Delhi: Television actor Shailesh Lodha quit the popular show 'Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah' in April 2022, leaving fans of the show disappointed. Though the actor never said anything directly, his Instagram posts and interview hinted that all was not well between the makers and him.
According to a Hindustan Times report, the actor’s dues from over a year are yet to be cleared by the makers. “Shailesh’s payment from over a year has not been cleared by the makers of the show. It’s approximately a six-figure amount. He has been patiently waiting for the makers to clear his dues for almost a year. But producer Asit Kumarr Modi is paying no heed,” Hindustan Times quoted its source as saying.
The report also stated that the actor left the show due to an altercation with the showrunner: “He felt disrespected and left the show without any notice. Shailesh has maintained a dignified silence since then,” the publication quoted its source.
According to the report, Neha K Mehta’s Rs 30-40 lakh are yet to be cleared by the producer. Neha played Anjali in the show.
Earlier in an interview with Siddharth Kannan, when asked about his reason for quitting, Shailesh recited lines by Bashir Badr. “Kuch toh majbooriyan rahi hongi, yun hi koi bevafa nahi hota (There must be some reason, people don’t leave without reason.) It’s not like I won’t reveal why I left the show. I will say but only at the right time,” he said in the interview.
Shailesh also spoke about how his attachment to the show after working in it for 14 years. “We Indians are emotional people so we get attached to everything, there is no doubt about that. I am an emotional person. In fact, I call myself an emotional idiot. I am a sentimental fool. Attachment is natural. And if you do anything for 14 years, it will happen,” he told Siddharth Kannan.
Sachin Shroff has replaced Shailesh Lodha in the show.