Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah actor Dilip Joshi wants Disha Vakani to return as Dayaben

The makers of comedy show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah are still looking for a replacement for actor Disha Vakani, who played Daya, but her co-star Dilip Joshi is still hoping for her to return to the show. Dilip plays her onscreen husband Jethalal Gada.

Talking about the importance of Disha’s character on the show and the search for her replacement, Dilip told the Times of India in an interview, “Two years ago, when Disha announced that she was going on maternity leave, we were apprehensive about how the show will go on because Jethalal and Daya are crucial to it. It is not that an actor can’t be replaced. In the past, too, there have been such cases. For example, when Ronit Roy replaced Amar Upadhyay in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, many had wondered if the show would go on. But the fact is, the show goes on. Having said that, Kyunki… was a family drama and this is a comedy show. It is important that the actor, who replaces Disha, has good comic timing and fits the character.”

The actor is hopeful that Disha may return to play the iconic character, Daya. He added, “Disha has worked on the character for 10 years, which is not a short period. I understand that when a woman becomes a mother, her priorities change, but at the end of the day, she is also an artiste. An artiste cannot stay away for long from the set, and so, I am praying that Disha will soon want to come back to the show. She has worked hard to establish the character and should not let it go waste.”

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Recently, Bade Achche Lagte Hain actor Vibhoutee Sharma was reported to have been finalised for the role of Daya. The actor reportedly shot a demo scene for the show and was said to be closest to the character. She recently turned down the reports and said that she is working on her film instead.

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