Taarak Mehta
Tarak Janubhai Mehta was an Indian columnist, humourist, writer and playwright who is best known for the column "Duniya Ne Undha Chasma". He translated and adapted several comedies into Gujarati, and was a well-known figure in Gujarati theatre. His humorous weekly column first appeared in "Chitralekha" in March 1971 and looked at contemporary issues from a different perspective. He published 80 books; three were based on the columns he wrote in the Gujarati newspaper "Divya Bhaskar" while the rest were compiled from the stories in "Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah". In 2008, SAB TV – a popular entertainment  channel in India, started the sitcom "Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah" based on his column, and soon it became the flagship show of the channel. Actor Shailesh Lodha portrays Mehta in the show. Personal life. Mr.Taarak Mehta belonged to the Gujarati Naagar community. He lived in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, where he moved in 2000, with his second wife, Indu, of over 30 years. His first wife, Ila who later married Manohar Doshi (died 2006), also lived in the same apartment building. He had a daughter from his first marriage, Eshani, who lives in the United States, and has two grandchildren , Kushaan and Shailee. Mehta died at the age of 87 years on March 1, 2017 after a prolonged illness. His family donated his body to medical research. Awards. Mehta was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of India, in 2015. Gujarat Sahitya Akademi awarded him Sahitya Gaurav Puraskar in 2011 and Ramanlal Nilkanth Hasya Paritoshik (posthumously) in 2017. Bibliography. Novels Natak (Plays)