Monika Bhadoriya says she was suicidal while working on Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah: ‘All this torture…’

Actor Monika Bhadoriya recently claimed that the makers of the popular TV show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (TMKOC) tortured her while working on the show. She said she had suicidal thoughts at that time. She had previously said that the makers didn’t pay her dues of three months, which was around ₹4-5 lakhs, for over a year. Also read: Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah’s Priya Ahuja Rajda confirms Jennifer Mistry was never abusive

Monika Bhadoriya on Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah

Monika Bhadoriya in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (TMKOC) played the role of Baga’s love interest Bawri. In a previous chat with Hindustan Times, Monika had called her days of the sets of the show “hell” and claimed that the makers of the show remained unsupportive while her mother was receiving cancer treatment. She had said, “I would spend the night at the hospital and they would call me early in the morning for a shoot. Even if I would say I am not in the right state of mind, they would force me to come. The worst part was that even after coming on shoot, I would wait, I had nothing to do.”

Monika Bhadoriya on suicidal thoughts

In an interview with Pinkvilla, Monika said, “I went through a lot of family tragedies. I lost my mother and grandmother, both within a very short period of time. They both were pillars of my life, they raised me so well. I was not able to deal with their loss and I thought my life was over. During this time, I was working for Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, which was also very torturing. So all this torture and thoughts made me feel that I should commit suicide. They (TMKOC makers) said, ‘Her father died, and we gave the money. We gave the money to treat her ill mother.’ These words had hurt me deeply.”

Adding to this, Monika also recalled how she wanted to quit the show after the treatment she received on the sets. “I had a dream to bring my parents on the sets of my show, but after seeing the atmosphere on the sets, I decided that I would never ask my parents to come on the sets.” “But when my mother was ill and was in her last days, I thought I should bring her to the sets and show her where I work, but that remained impossible,” she also added.

While Monika maintained that the environment of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah made her leave the show, she also said that others, on the show, are working for money. “Money is important but not more than self-respect,” she also said. Monika further accused the show makers of cheating actors for money and also not stating things clearly in their contract.

Recently, Jennnifer Mistry Bansiwal accused Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah producers of sexual misconduct. Besides her, Disha Vakani, Priya Ahuja, Shailesh Lodha and now Monika have spoken against the producers. The show has been running successfully for over a decade.

SUICIDE HELPLINE INFO:

If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist. Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918