JOIN USPopular TV actor Kavi Kumar Azad, best known for his role of Dr Hansraj Haathi in superhit sitcom ‘Tarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashma’, passed away on Monday in Mumbai, following a massive heart attack.
Dr Haathi or Dr Saab essayed the role of the lovable obese doctor and was an important member of the fictional Gokhuldham Society at Powder Gully. Viewers often waited for the dialogue: "sahi baat hai".
The show is based on the column ‘Duniya Ne Undha Chashm’ written by columnist and journalist the late Taarak Mehta for Gujarati weekly magazine 'Chitralekha'.
Azad (also spelt Azaad) was unwell and was admitted at Wokhardt Hospital at Mira Road. The show’s producer, Asit Kumarr Modi, confirmed the news of the actor’s death.
“We are very sad to inform loss of our senior actor Kavi Kumar Azaad. He was playing the character of Dr Hathi in 'Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma'. We lost him to a massive cardiac arrest today morning. He was an amazing actor and a very positive person. He truly loved the show and always came for the shoot even if he was not feeling well. But he called today morning and said he is not well and will not be able to come for the shoot. And later we got the news that he passed away. We are all too numb to say anything,” Asit Modi said in a statement.
‘Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashma’ or TMKOC figures in the Guinness Book of World Records for "airing the highest number of episodes" on television, both original and repeat.
On June 28, the cast and crew celebrated not the end of 2500 episodes but towards the show’s 5000th episode.