Taarak Mehta

Tarak Janubhai Mehta was an Indian columnist, humourist, writer and playwright who is best known for the column Duniya Ne Undha Chasma. He translated and adapted several comedies into Gujarati, and was a well-known figure in the Gujarati theatre.[2]

Tarak Mehta
Mehta at his residence in Ahmedabad, 2009
Born(1929-12-26)26 December 1929
Ahmedabad, Bombay presidency, British India
Died1 March 2017(2017-03-01) (aged 87)[1]
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
OccupationColumnist, humorist, writer
SpouseIla (died 2006), Indu (died 2019)

His humourous weekly column first appeared in Chitralekha in March 1971 and looked at contemporary issues from a different perspective. He published 80 books; three were based on the columns he wrote in the Gujarati newspaper Divya Bhaskar while the rest were compiled from the stories in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah.[3]

In 2008 SAB TV, a popular entertainment channel in India, started the sitcom Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah based on his column,[4] and soon it became the flagship show of the channel. Actor Shailesh Lodha portrays Mehta in the show.[5]

Personal life

Tarak Mehta belonged to the Gujarati Jain community.[6][7] He lived in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, where he moved in 2000, with his second wife, Indu, of over 30 years. His first wife, Ila who later married Manohar Doshi, (died 2006), also stayed in the same apartment building. He had a daughter from his first marriage, Eshani, who lives in the United States, and has two grandchildren, Kushaan and Shailee.[3][8]

Mehta died at the age of 87 years on 1 March 2017 after prolonged illness.[1] His family donated his body for medical research.[9]

Awards
The President, Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Padma Shri Award to Tarak Mehta, at a Civil Investiture Ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on March 30, 2015

Mehta was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of India, in 2015.[10] Gujarat Sahitya Akademi awarded him Sahitya Gaurav Puraskar in 2011 and Ramanlal Nilkanth Hasya Paritoshik (posthumously) in 2017.[11][12]

Bibliography
  • Duniya ne Oondha Chashmah
  • Aa Duniya Panjarapole
  • Action Replay ½
  • Albelun America Vanthelun America
  • Champaklal Tapuni Jugalbandhi
  • Betaj Batali Baj Popatlal Taraj
  • Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah

References
  1. "Writer Taarak Mehta, the inspiration behind 'Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah', no more". The Times of India. 1 March 2017. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  2. Contemporary Indian theatre: interviews with playwrights and directors. Sangeet Natak Akademi. 1989. p. 159.
  3. "Tarak Mehta is 'booked'!". DNA. 9 March 2009.
  4. "Comedy Inc!". Indian Express. 2 July 2010.
  5. "Laughing away to success". Indian Express. 30 July 2010.
  6. "Jains steal the show with 7 Padmas". The Times of India. 9 April 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  7. Talreja, Vinod (1 March 2017). "In pics: A look at the life of popular columnist Taarak Mehta". India.com. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  8. "Tragedy strikes Tarak Mehta". The Times of India. 14 July 2009.
  9. "Noted Gujarati playwright Taarak Mehta passes away at 87". dna. 2017.
  10. "Padma Awards 2015". Press Information Bureau. Archived from the original on 26 January 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  11. "Tarak Mehta gets an award from Gujarat Government=15 February 2017". INDIA NEW ENGLAND NEWS.
  12. "સર્વપ્રિય હાસ્યલેખક તારક મહેતા 'રમણભાઈ નીલકંઠ હાસ્ય પારિતોષિક'થી સમ્માનિત". Chitralekha (in Gujarati). 31 March 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
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