Meet real Tarak Mehta, Gujarati columnist, man behind TMKOC; his body was donated by family after he died due to...

Tarak Janubhai Mehta was a renowned Indian columnist, humorist, writer, and playwright, best remembered for his iconic column Duniya Ne Undha Chasma. He was also a celebrated person in Gujarati theatre, leaving a lasting impact on both literature and the performing arts.

Tarak Janubhai Mehta’s popular weekly column, Duniya Ne Undha Chasma, began in Chitralekha in March 1971. Through this column, he offered a fresh and humorous take on contemporary issues. Throughout his career, he authored 80 books, further solidifying his legacy as a witty and insightful writer.

In 2008, SAB TV (now Sony SAB), a popular entertainment channel in India, launched the sitcom Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, inspired by Tarak Mehta's column. The show quickly became the flagship program of the channel.

Actor Shailesh Lodha originally portrayed Mehta until 2022, when he left the show, and currently, Sachin Shroff plays the role of Mehta.

Personal life:

Tarak Mehta was a member of the Gujarati Nagar Brahman community. He lived in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, with his second wife, Indu, whom he was married to for over 30 years. His first wife, Ila, who later married Manohar Doshi (who passed away in 2006), also lived in the same apartment building. Mehta had a daughter, Eshani, from his first marriage, who resides in the United States, and he had two grandchildren, Kushaan and Shailee.

Tarak Mehta passed away at the age of 87 on 1 March 2017 after a prolonged illness. In a gesture of generosity, his family donated his body to medical research.

Honoured with the Padma Shri

Tarak Mehta was honoured with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, in 2015. In addition, he received the Sahitya Gaurav Puraskar from the Gujarat Sahitya Akademi in 2011. Posthumously, he was also awarded the Ramanlal Nilkanth Hasya Paritoshik in 2017 for his contributions to humor.