Actor Bhavya Gandhi recently lost his father, Vinod Gandhi, to Coronavirus. His father had tested positive in April and the family struggled hard to get proper treatment, a hospital bed and later on, even an ICU.

“He caught the virus, that is what happened. It is real and it is bad. And we are still asking why this happened? It has been extremely difficult. I hope no one else has to go through our ordeal. I want everyone to get vaccinated,” says the 23-year-old, who became a household name after his performance in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashma.

Talking about the last conversation he had with his father, Gandhi says, “When we were shifting him to the super speciality hospital, he asked ‘Where are we going?’ I told him the name of the hospital we were taking him to. He was okay with it. I asked him to stay strong, assured him he would be fine soon. He smiled and said ‘okay’. He was an extremely strong and motivated person.”

Due to the lockdown, his relatives and friends can’t pay a visit or condole with the family. Gandhi, too, doesn’t want them to try and come over. “It’s alright and we understand the situation. This is not the time to hold hands or hug people. It is better to stay safe at home,” he says.

Gandhi shares his father was proud of the way he conducted his career in the last 13 years. He adds, “My dad used to say ‘dimaag ko bana ice factory aur zubaan ko sugar factory’. He left a huge gap that no one can fill. I miss him so much!”