Taarak Mehta’s Babitaji, Munmun Dutta, says they still miss Disha Vakani aka Daya: ‘She would disguise her voice while answering calls’

Munmun Dutta, who is best known for playing Babita in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, recently opened up about Disha Vakani’s departure from the show. For many years, Disha played Dayaben on the show and while she quit the show almost seven years ago, makers are yet to replace her. Munmun said that the cast still misses Disha and often reminisces the times they spent with her.

Talking to ETimes, Munmun said she misses Disha a lot. She added that whenever they are joking around, they often think about Disha and talk about their “good memories together.” Munmun then shared that whenever Disha got any calls from unknown numbers, she would disguise her voice. Disha played a pivotal role on the show and was one of the first original cast members to quit the show. She took a break for maternity leave but did not come back leaving fans disappointed, as they did not get a chance to bid goodbye to her character.

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Producer Asit Kumarr Modi previously addressed the character’s absence and said that they would recast the role if Disha didn’t come back, but this was back in 2022 and the character is yet to reappear on the show. “The character of Daya Bhabhi is such that people have not forgotten it. It’s been almost five years and people still talk about her. Her absence is felt by everyone, including me. I have a lot of respect for her and I duly waited for her during the pandemic and I am waiting for her even today. We are hoping for a miracle that she can come back,” he said in a press conference at the time.

In July 2023, in a chat with The Times of India, Asit said that they were auditioning new actors for Dayaben’s part and said that the character would return on the show in a few months.

Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah has been on air for 16 years now.