Jennifer Mistry, who has played Mrs Roshan Sodhi on Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah for the past 15 years, has left the show. She joins previous departures from the show of Shailesh Lodha, Disha Vakani, and Gurucharan Singh. Jennifer, on the other hand, has left the show after accusing TMKOC producer Asit Modi of sexual harassment. According to a report in TOI, Jennifer Mistry has filed a complaint against Modi, Project Head Sohail Ramani, and executive producer Jatin Bajaj of sexual misconduct at the workplace.
Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah’s actor Shailesh Lodha, who used to play Mr. Mehta in the show, had earlier filed a case against Asit Modi for non-payment of dues and now, a new complaint has been filed against the producers. The report further states that Jennifer stopped shooting for the show two months ago and had shot her last shot on March 7.
Reacting to the same, Jennifer Mistry told TOI, “Yes, I’ve left the show. It is right that I shot my last episode of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah on March 6 this year. I had to leave the sets as I was subjected to humiliation and insult at the hands of Mr Sohil Ramani and the other executive producer Jatin Bajaj.”
She added, “It was March 7, my marriage anniversary and Holi when the incident happened. I had informed in advance that I want a half day since my daughter really looks forward to Holi. I was asked to get off the sets four times by Sohail Ramani and the executive producer tried to stop my car by standing behind it and was not allowing me to leave the sets. I told them I worked on the show for 15 years and they couldn’t forcefully stop me and while I was leaving Sohil threatened me. I have filed a case of sexual harassment against Asit Kumarr Modi, Sohail Ramani and Jatin Bajaj.”
Jennifer revealed that the producers did not make arrangement for her but they do for all the make actors. She said that the place is ‘male chauvanistic’. She said, “That’s when I retaliated and Sohail spoke to me rudely asking me to get out almost four times. Then the creative person Jatin tried to stop my car. All this is recorded in the CCTV footage. This happened on March 7, I thought they would call me. But on March 24 Sohil sent me a notice that I left the shoot and they are losing money. This was ulta chor Kotwal ko Dante. They wanted to scare me.”
“On April 4, I replied to them on whatsapp that I was subjected to sexual harassment, I sent a draft and they reverted to me saying I was trying to extort money from them. I decided that day, I want a public apology. I took the help of a lawyer. On April 8th, I sent a notice to Asit Modi, Sohil Ramani and Jatin Bajaj and also mailed and sent a registry to all the government authorities. I have not got any revert on the same but I am sure they must be looking into it and investigating the matter,” she informed.
Jennifer Mistry also claimed that every person working on Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah is ‘bonded labour’. She added,”I have given my 15 years to the show and if I am treated like this on the set so just imagine what they must be doing to the new comers of junior artists.