Gujarati playwright Taarak Mehta dies at 87

Mehta’s fame rose to meteoric heights after he started writing column Duniya ne Undha Chashma in 1971 in Gujarati magazine Chitralekha. Taking inspiration from its popularity and humour content, TV producer Asit Modi began production of Hindi comedy serial Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashma, which is on air since 2008.

He authored around 80 books, including autobiography Action Replay.

Former deputy editor of Praja Tantra, a newspaper in 1959-60, Mehta was awarded Padma Shri in 2015 and was due to receive the Gujarat government’s Ramanbhai Nilkanth Award for humour this year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal, BJP national president Amit Shah, Gujarat Assembly Speaker Ramanlal Vora, Union Minister Purushottam Rupala and several others paid him tributes. The Gujarat Assembly, which is in session, took special note of Mehta’s death.

“Taarak Mehta’s writings always reflected India’s unity in diversity. His characters like Tappu live in people’s hearts,” the Prime Minister tweeted.

Along with a photo taken with Mehta, Modi also said he was a man who “never left the company of his pen and satire”.

Stage and TV actor Dilip Joshi, who plays the character of Jethalal in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashma, said that age did not leave any impact on the mental health of Mehta and that his brain was very sharp.