Ghanshyam Nayak (77), best known as Natu Kaka from Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, passed away on Sunday after a prolonged battle with cancer. The team members of Taarak Mehta... have been very upset after hearing the news. We spoke to Tanmay Vekaraia, who plays Natu Kaka’s nephew Bagha on the show and shared maximum screen time with the veteran actor. Tanmay, who joined the show in 2010, said, “Ghanshyam bhai has seen me working as a child actor. I was a kid when he used to work in plays.”

Tanmay says, “When I got the opportunity to work with him in Taarak..., I was very happy; it revived our old association. We used to share the same make-up room, have lunch and snacks together and travel to work and back home together every day. He was very dear to me and a special person in my life. For two hours after I heard the news of his demise, I was just recalling the entire series of meetings, good moments and the time I shared working with him since my childhood.”

Talking about his dear Natukaka, he added, “He was a very easy-going and simple individual. A talented actor, I remember his struggles. Though he worked in several plays, films and TV shows, he got his much-deserved fame and recognition only after he crossed 60 years of age. Life had been tough for him and I respect the way he lived his life. I knew him for more than two decades and I loved the innocence with which he delivered his dialogues. He will continue to live in my memories forever.”

Producer Asit Kumarr Modi said, “Ghanshyam bhai was not only connected with me because of Taarak..., I have known him for more than two decades because he has acted in many of my TV shows, earlier, too. Unfortunately, the past one year was difficult for me to get him back on the sets because of his illness but I invited him to Daman when we moved there. He shot for an episode and was happy spending time with the entire unit. Taarak... has lost a very important and talented actor and I would say Gujarati theatre and television values his contribution. He would always say he wanted to work till the last day of his life.”

Incidentally, in an interview to BT a few months ago, while talking about his love for his craft, Natukaka had said that he wanted to work till the last day of his life.