Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah EXCLUSIVE: Asit Modi threatened, 'Hum raaton raat tumhara Instagram uda sakte hain,' alleges Palak Sindhwani

In an exclusive interview with Pinkvilla, Palak Sindhwani, the actress of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, made shocking accusations against Asit Kumar Modi and his team.

Updated on Sep 29, 2024  |  01:08 PM IST |  139.3K
Palak Sindhwani, Asit Modi
Pic Credit: Palak Sindhwani Instagram

Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of mental harassment and anxiety.

Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah is in the news for its controversies yet again! Palak Sindhwani, who essays the role of Sonu Bhide, has decided to take an exit from the sitcom after 5 years. However, her departure is all over the headlines as Palak has levelled serious allegations against Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah's producer Asit Modi and his team. 

Pinkvilla contacted Palak Sindhwani to get her perspective on the "breach of contract" controversy. The makers have accused her of violating their contract by doing brand endorsements. However, while talking to us, she disclosed that the makers assured her that she could do advertisements when she signed the contract five years ago. 

Palak explained that she had not received a copy of the contract until September 19, 2024 (after five years). She mentioned that everyone,  including her on-screen father Mandar Chandwadkar, and co-stars Munmun Dutta, and Sunayana Fozdar has also endorsed brands. However, she was the only one called out by the makers when she did the same, as she was planning to leave the show and they did not have any valid reason to stop her. 

Palak Sindhwani reveals struggle to meet Asit Kumar Modi:

Palak Sindhwani shared that she got to know about the contract breach news after the makers officially released the statement without informing her about it. When asked whether she had a chance to discuss the issue face to face with the show's producer, Palak elaborated that on September 14 (Saturday), she texted Asit Kumar Modi as she was extremely unwell. 

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Palak explained that she was unable to talk and everyone on the set knew she had a fever. She wrote to Asit Modi, "Sir, physically I am not well, mentally it is adding to my stress. Can you please make me meet someone from your team on an urgent basis?"

The actress revealed Asit Kumar Modi didn't pay attention to her message and told her, "No one can meet you before Wednesday (September 18)." Palak attempted to explain to the producer how difficult it was for her to work while being anxious as she was unaware of the situation. However, Asit Modi told her, "If someone is available, they will meet" which left Palak worried. 

While talking to us, Palak expressed her frustration as Modi asked her to contact the production team Sohail Ramani and Jatin Bajaj despite their lack of knowledge about social or legal terms. She mentioned that while shooting for the show, she was asked to talk to different people to solve her problem but she never received a solution.

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Palak Sindhwani recalls suffering a panic attack:

The Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah actress stated that no team member was willing to discuss the situation with her before September 18. She stated, "I shot for the show for 5-6 days with that anxiety. Only I know what I was going through. I couldn't accept what was happening." She recalled how she was continuously getting calls where people asked her about violating the contract.

Palak expressed, "I got a panic attack on the set. My brother had called me and the call was on speaker. I was shivering and my brother discovered that there was something wrong. My brother called the production head/company representative and asked him to rush to my room. He came and saw how I was holding my chair, sitting and shivering. He saw everything. He must have told Asit sir about my condition but still there was no consideration."

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After experiencing "sleepless nights", Palak revealed that she had texted Asit Kumar Modi again to resolve the misunderstanding but received no response. Upon meeting Asit Kumar Modi on September 18, Palak mentioned that she was directly accused of breaching the contract. She asked for clarification and informed them that it was not mentioned in her contract that she could not endorse brands. In response, the producer told her that every artist has a different contract. 

Palak Sindhwani reveals Asit Modi threatened her:

Palak revealed that Asit Modi threatened her to delete her Instagram. He told her, "Tum itna mat uddo Instagram ke vajese se. Humare pass itni strong team hai ki hum raato raat udva sakte hai tumhara Instagram. (You don't jump because of Instagram. I have a strong team that can delete your Instagram in a night)

Palak mentioned that TMKOC team asked her to provide the details of her past brand endorsements and indirectly hinting that they wanted a share of her brand endorsements. She claimed that the team never questioned her for five years but started to blame her when she decided to leave the show. Palak explained that after her discussion with Asit Modi, a legal notice arrived at her house on September 20, mentioning the breach of contract. 

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Palak stated that it was at this point that she sought legal help and decided to speak the truth. She elaborated in detail on how actors promote brands in their "individual capacity" and do not endorse brands as their characters from the show.

Further, the 26-year-old revealed that despite her health issues, she was never granted leave and only took a day off for the meeting with Asit Modi on September 18.

Palak asserted, "Everyone has seen me suffer and have seen my breakdowns in between shots." She even said that all co-stars have seen her mental torture but no one will speak about it as they are Asit Kumar Modi's employees. She stated that everybody is supporting her. 

Palak has shared that she plans to take a month-long break after her time on Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah to cope with a traumatic experience. Her last shooting day on the sitcom's set will be September 30.

Disclaimer: If you know someone who is having suicidal thoughts, anxiety, going through depression, or is suffering from a serious mental illness, reach out to a nearby doctor, mental health expert, or an NGO for immediate help.​ There are several helplines available for the same.

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ALSO READ: Palak Sindhwani alleges torture by TMKOC makers, Anupamaa to have new lead post leap, Munawar Faruqui buys lavish apartment and more; top TV news of the week

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A TV writer with five years of experience in Indian drama and reality shows. With a bachelor's

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