New Delhi: Actress Priya Ahuja, who portrayed the well-known character of Rita Reporter in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, has blasted the producers for their "unfair" treatment of the actors and for creating a hostile work atmosphere, after actors Jennifer Mistry and Monika Bhadoria.
The actor, who has been a part of the programme since the beginning, hasn't appeared in recent episodes. Priya said that she was dropped from the comedy series abruptly. Priya, who spent 14 years married to the show's director Malav Rajda, opened up about the workplace in an interview with Times of India.
Although she stated that her role on the show was cut short, she claimed that because of her director husband's steady job, things didn't affect her that much as he was earning. “Yes, the artists have to go through mental harassment when they work on Taarak Mehta. Asit Kumarr Modi bhai, Sohil Ramani or Jatin Bajaj (he’s like my younger brother) they never misbehaved with me. But as far work is concerned I’ve been subjected to unfair treatment.”
Even when her husband left the programme, Priya claimed she was still puzzled about her track. The actress said she tried to get clarification from the producers but received no response. The actor also remembered the sexist remarks that the show's producer Asit Modi would make. Priya recalled that sometimes Asit Modi would comment, "Arre tujhe kaam karne ki kya zarurat hai Malav is working Na, you enjoy life like a queen .."
She went on to add that it is unfortunate that she did not get the basic respect despite working with the team for 14 long years. Priya said, "I sometimes wonder I am a director's wife who worked with them for 14 years and they never gave me the basic respect." She also said that actors like Monika Bhadoriya and Jennifer Mistry, who recently opened up about the unhealthy environment on TMKOC sets and called it a "male chauvinistic" place are not wrong.