Opinion Piece: Has the Can of Worms opened for 'TMKOC'? Controversies & Contrary Points

Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah

The scripts for Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (TMKOC) lately don't bring in the same laughs it did years ago but it seems the off-screen script with the drama and controversy surrounding the show is writing itself while becoming a dark and devious tale - exactly the antithesis of what the sitcom stands for.

The recent hullabaloo surrounding TMKOC has been shocking, even alarming but mostly leaves you wondering. Sure, a show that has almost 15 years of longevity isn't going to have a hunky-dory ride off-screen all the time as we have seen so often but the recent instances coupled with the ones that happened earlier certainly make you take a step back and wonder.

In this opinion piece, I try to list down the several cases that has led to this apparent can of worms being opened, a counter-perspective and what it means for the show's future-

The Cases That Shocked The Most

Needless to say, the Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal aka Roshan's blowout has been the most astonishing one where it did not just have the actor talking about being ill-treated professionally but also added the factor of putting sexual allegations on the producer of the show, Asit Modi with spoken examples. However, there have been a couple other ones that seemed to be almost equally bewildering ones. 

The exit of actor Sailesh Lodha aka Taarak Mehta led to a lot of questions and while both parties were initially quiet about it, the actor went on to spill some beans with surprising digs and direct attacks as well. Right from talking about not being valued for your talent to payment dues not being cleared, Lodha did not hold back. And then even earlier, we had the case of Neha Mehta aka Anjali Mehta. Back then, her case seemed rather diminutive but now in retrospect, it seems one that should have been paid more attention to. Mehta also talked about facing unprofessionalism at the workplace and payment issues but this died down later.

Goes, Comes Back, Goes Again

Not many characters have witnessed the kind of back-and-forth like that of Roshan Singh Sodhi. Actor Gurucharan Singh aka the OG Sodhi quit the show several years ago to everyone's wonder but then a while later, he made his return and it seemed like all was well. Then came in COVID-19 and once normalcy at shoot resumed, we saw Singh quit the show again to many assumptions but never actually clarifying why. I know what are you wondering, what about Tapu? Yet another character that has faced a lot of back-and-forth but most of that happened with the second Tapu, Raj Anadkat. 

The actor stayed on for a considerable amount of time but there were two instances of him almost quitting the show. One would remember how several months ago, Anadkat was on record to have confirmed quitting it but then continued and then still did not quite appear before finally quitting it a few months ago.

The Curious Case of Dayaben

I know a kid who was in his teenage when Dayaben (Disha Vakani) quit the show. Then began the never-ending saga of 'will she, won't she?' when it comes to her return to the show. Now, that kid is almost an adult and we continue to have TMKOC without Dayaben. Disha Vakani's return to the show has been the most-talked about storyline for years and years now and while of course, producer Asit Modi has spoken umpteen times on it, it has never been definitive. 

It will not almost be six years without Dayaben except for a couple of cameo appearances and it remains an unsolved mystery. Many assumptions ranging from Vakani's demands of return and Modi's acceptance of the same have been made but it might continue being the curious case till we actually see Dayaben - the character come back.

The Other Side

It is imperative that with so many sagas happening, it leads the millions of fans to wonder and even develop their notions about the show and its off-screen situation. But one cannot rule out the fact that a show that has been running for almost 15 years now would not have been able to do so without a generic satisfaction. One can argue how it is work and even if things were wrong from the get-go, not everyone would be a rebel and speak up on it because of the practicality of running your house - but even then the timeline doesn't lie. 

It seems difficult to be working in a constantly toxic environment for a decade and a half even if the said person has been subjected to issues again and again. You can swallow the pill and continue working for a while but maybe not for the entirety! There might also be a case of opportunists trying to take advantage of an on-going issue and cash in on it.

Then Again...

And then comes the idea of statistics not lying. More and more actors have come forward gradually after not being associated with the show anymore and be open about their problems. The one factor that a layman might not understand and accuse the actor for not speaking up when it happened - is - contracts! The contract that binds the actor with the show is a beast and leads to the zip on one's mouth. 

Not only because of a general worry as to what would happen if that mouth is opened but also due to the legal obligations that come with it. And hence, one can notice how the likes of Sailesh Lodha, Jennifer Mistry, Monika Bhadoriya, Neha Mehta, Priya Ahuja and others only chose to speak on it when they have officially quit the show. The support coming in for Mistry, especially, has led the most eyeballs and most tongues wagging  - which indeed did affect the show's viewership to a certain extent.

What Does The Future Hold?

And that leads us to the final point. What does all this mean for the show and its future? There has been a definitive decline in the show's rating but it hasn't been alarming. These factors have played a role in viewers disconnecting themselves from tuning in but the bigger problem in question for the show has been what has been for several years now - the quality. The repetition of tracks, rehashed jokes, unfunny situations, ageing actors and a general lethargy towards taking the viewers for granted has become a constant with the show. Whether or not, more actors will come forward and we might see this can spilling more worms, is something we will have to wait and see but the future looks redundant and bleak - not dooming though.

What are your views on the same? Let us know in the comments below.