Shailesh Lodha, who played the lead role of Taarak Mehta in the popular sitcom Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah for over 14 years, has opened up about the reasons behind his exit from the show.
In an interview with Lallantop, the actor revealed that producer Asit Kumarr Modi had spoken to him in a distasteful way and humiliated him for being part of another show, Good Night India on SAB TV. He also accused Modi of trying to arm-twist him by stopping his payment and wanting him to sign an agreement that the actor felt would curb his rights.
Lodha said that he decided to leave Taarak Mehta as it was a matter of self-respect. He recalled, “I shot for it (Good Night India) and even recited a poem there. A day before the telecast, Taarak Mehta’s producer called me asking how I could be on that show. And the language that he used was not civil, leaving me infuriated.”
He added, “I could not tolerate the way he spoke to me. A show is made by many people coming together and not just one person. I thus mailed him on February 17, 2022, that I would not like to continue with the show.”
Lodha also claimed that Modi had called everyone on the show his servants in a derogatory way. He said that he could not tolerate the way Modi spoke to him and that he had mailed the producer on February 17, 2022, stating that he would not like to continue with the show.
Lodha also claimed that Modi had held his past payments as a means to arm-twist him. He said that the producer had asked him to sign papers but that he was not keen to meet him. The actor added that on April 5, he sent another e-mail stating that he had been shooting as a good gesture but that he would not continue to do so. He said that the makers were persistent that he signed an agreement, which according to him would curb his rights.
"Why do I take his permission before going on social media or speaking to the media? These are my basic rights. And what do I do it after I leave the show? The matter was never about money or payment but about how he spoke in an insulting tone. I had to go to the court and the settlement was done," Lodha said.
The allegations made by Lodha have shocked fans of the show, however, Asit Kumarr Modi has not responded to them, as of now.
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