दुनिया को उल्टे चश्मे से देखने वाला वो शख्स, जिसकी कलम से निकला कालजयी टीवी शो, हंसी से भर दी दर्शकों की जिंदगी

New Delhi. ‘Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah’ is a popular show in the TV world. This serial has captured the hearts of every section of the audience. But very few people would know how this show started. The entire credit for this goes to Gujarati literature’s famous humorist, columnist and playwright Tarak Janubhai Mehta, whose birth anniversary is today i.e. 26th December. He was a litterateur who looked at the world not directly but through an inverted lens. His works force the readers and viewers to laugh even today.

Taarak Mehta was born on 26 December 1929 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. He is mainly known for his famous weekly column ‘Duniya Ne Undha Chashma’, which was first published in the Gujarati weekly magazine ‘Chitralekha’ in March 1971. In this column, he looked at contemporary social and political issues through an inverted lens of humor, giving the readers a deep message along with laughter.

Taarak Mehta wrote more than 80 books in his career

Taarak Mehta wrote more than 80 books in his career. Many of these were based on his columns, while three books were compilations of his articles published in various newspapers. In an interview, he had told about his style that his aim is to highlight the shortcomings of the society with light satire through the Duniya Ne Undha Chashma column. He had said, ‘I look at issues from a different perspective, so that people can think while laughing. Humor should not be bitter, but sweet, which touches the heart and brings change.

Tarak Mehta received Padma Shri award

He was also a prominent personality of Gujarati theater and translated many comedy plays. There was light satire in his writings, which took a dig at the shortcomings of the society, but was never bitter. In the year 2015, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Shri award for his contribution in the field of literature and education.

How did ‘Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah’ start?

In the year 2008, producer Asit Kumar Modi started the serial ‘Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah’ based on his column, which is aired on Sony SAB channel. The show is one of India’s longest running comedy serials and showcases the humor of everyday life through the characters of Gokuldham Society. Shailesh Lodha first played the role of Taarak Mehta in the show. Taarak Mehta’s writings not only enriched Gujarati literature but also spread the message of laughter across the country through TV. Taarak Mehta died on 1 March 2017 in Ahmedabad at the age of 87 after prolonged illness.