Shailesh Lodha, who played Taarak Mehta in the TV show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (TMKOC) for 14 years, has won the lawsuit that he filed against producer Asit Kumarr Modi for not clearing his dues. The verdict came out in May and as per the settlement terms, a sum of 1,05,84,000 has been paid to the actor. Shailesh quit TMKOC in April 2022 and earlier this year, he approached the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for the clearance of his yearlong dues.

When we reached out to Shailesh, the actor said he was happy with the verdict and grateful to the NCLT. “This fight was never about the money. It was about seeking justice and self-respect. I feel like I have won a battle and I’m happy that the truth has prevailed,” Shailesh said.

The actor has never spoken at length about the circumstances behind his exit. While hinting at how things went sour, Shailesh said, “He wanted me to sign some papers to clear my dues. They had certain clauses like you cannot talk to the media and other things. I didn’t bow down to the armtwisting. Why would I sign any papers to get my own money?”

Furthermore, Shailesh shared how his fight seems to have helped another actor who was a part of the show. “One of the actors, who I don’t want to name, wasn’t paid for over three years. After I filed the suit, he was called by the production house and was paid his dues. He called to thank me for it,” Shailesh, who is also a well-known poet and writer. Despite repeated attempts, producer Asit Modi did not respond to our calls and messages till the time of going to press.