[[File:Tarak_Mehta.jpg|thumb|Mehta in January 2015]]
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2019}}
'''Taarak Mehta''' (26 December 1929 – 1 March 2017) was an [[India]]n [[column]]ist, [[humour]]ist, writer and [[playwright]]. He was best known for the column ''Duniya Ne Undha Chasma'' in the [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] language. He [[translate]]d and [[adapted]] many [[Comedy|comedies]] into Gujarati. He was also a well-known figure in the Gujarati theatre.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Contemporary Indian theatre: interviews with playwrights and directors|publisher=Sangeet Natak Akademi|year=1989 |page=159}}</ref> He was born in [[Ahmedabad]], [[Gujarat]].
{{Infobox writer
| name = Tarak Mehta
| image = Tarak Mehta 01.jpg
| caption = Mehta at his residence in Ahmedabad, 2009
| image_size =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1929|12|26|df=y}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2017|03|01|1929|12|26}}<ref name="Death2017">{{cite web | title=Writer Taarak Mehta, the inspiration behind 'Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah', no more | website=The Times of India | date=2017-03-01 | url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/hindi/writer-taarak-mehta-the-inspiration-behind-taarak-mehta-ka-ooltah-chashmah-no-more/articleshow/57405136.cms | access-date=2017-03-01}}</ref>
'''Tarak Janubhai Mehta''' was an [[India]]n columnist, [[humourist]], writer and playwright who is best known for the column ''Duniya Ne Undha Chasma''. He translated and adapted several comedies into Gujarati, and was a well-known figure in the Gujarati theatre.<ref>{{cite book |title=Contemporary Indian theatre: interviews with playwrights and directors|publisher=Sangeet Natak Akademi|year=1989 |page=159}}</ref>
His humorous weekly column first appeared in ''[[Chitralekha (weekly)|Chitralekha]]'' in March 1971 and looked at contemporary issues from a different perspective. He published 80 books; three were based on the columns he wrote in the Gujarati newspaper ''[[Divya Bhaskar]]'' while the rest were compiled from the stories in ''Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah''.<ref name=dna>{{cite news |title=Tarak Mehta is 'booked'!|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report_tarak-mehta-is-booked-_1237837 |publisher=[[DNA (newspaper)|DNA]] |date=9 March 2009 }}</ref>
Mehta died after a long illness on 1 March 2017, at the age of 87.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/hindi/writer-taarak-mehta-the-inspiration-behind-taarak-mehta-ka-ooltah-chashmah-no-more/articleshow/57405136.cms|work=Times of India|title=Writer Taarak Mehta, the inspiration behind 'Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah', no more|date=1 March 2017|access-date=1 March 2017}}</ref>
In 2008 [[SAB TV]], a popular entertainment channel in India, started the sitcom ''[[Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah]]'' based on his column,<ref>{{cite news |title=Comedy Inc! |url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/comedy-inc/640054/0 |newspaper=[[Indian Express]] |date=2 July 2010 }}</ref> and soon it became the flagship show of the channel. Actor [[Shailesh Lodha]] portrays Mehta in the show.<ref>{{cite news |title=Laughing away to success|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/laughing-away-to-success/652415/0 |newspaper=Indian Express |date=30 July 2010 }}</ref>
==Personal life==
Tarak Mehta belonged to the [[Gujarati people|Gujarati]][[naagar]] community.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Jains-steal-the-show-with-7-Padmas/articleshow/46856659.cms|title=Jains steal the show with 7 Padmas | newspaper=The Times of India|date=9 April 2015|access-date=24 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.india.com/showbiz/in-pics-a-look-at-the-life-of-popular-columnist-taarak-mehta-1882280/|title=In pics: A look at the life of popular columnist Taarak Mehta|last=Talreja|first=Vinod|date=2017-03-01|website=India.com|language=en|access-date=2019-01-02}}</ref> He lived in [[Ahmedabad]], Gujarat, where he moved in 2000, with his second wife, Indu, of over 30 years. His first wife, Ila who later married [[Manohar Doshi]] (died 2006), also lived in the same apartment building. He had a daughter from his first marriage, Eshani, who lives in the United States, and has two grandchildren, Kushaan and Shailee.<ref name=dna/><ref>{{cite news |title=Tragedy strikes Tarak Mehta|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-07-14/ahmedabad/28171060_1_indu-seventh-floor-mumbai |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927184201/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-07-14/ahmedabad/28171060_1_indu-seventh-floor-mumbai |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 September 2012 |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=14 July 2009 }}</ref>
Mehta died at the age of 87 years on March 1, 2017 after a prolonged illness.<ref name="Death2017"/> His family donated his body to [[medical research]].<ref name="dna 2017">{{cite web | title=Noted Gujarati playwright Taarak Mehta passes away at 87 | website=dna | year=2017 | url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-noted-gujarati-playwright-taarak-mehta-passes-away-at-87-2338931 }}</ref>
==Awards==
[[File:The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Padma Shri Award to Shri Tarak Janubhai Mehta, at a Civil Investiture Ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on March 30, 2015.jpg|thumb|The President, [[Pranab Mukherjee]] presenting the Padma Shri Award to Tarak Mehta, at a Civil Investiture Ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on March 30, 2015]]
Mehta was awarded the [[Padma Shri]], the fourth highest civilian award of India, in 2015.<ref name=pdma>{{cite web|title=Padma Awards 2015|archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6VrWjEuo3?url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=114952|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=114952|publisher=Press Information Bureau|access-date=25 January 2015|archive-date=26 January 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Gujarat Sahitya Akademi]] award him [[Sahitya Gaurav Puraskar]] in 2011 and [[Ramanlal Nilkanth Hasya Paritoshik]] (posthumously) in 2017.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://indianewengland.com/2017/02/tarak-mehta-gets-award-gujarat-government/ |title=Tarak Mehta gets an award from Gujarat Government=15 February 2017 |website=INDIA NEW ENGLAND NEWS}}</ref><ref name="Chitralekha">{{cite web | title=સર્વપ્રિય હાસ્યલેખક તારક મહેતા 'રમણભાઈ નીલકંઠ હાસ્ય પારિતોષિક'થી સમ્માનિત |date=31 March 2017 | website=Chitralekha | url=http://chitralekha.com/breaking-news/taarak-mehta-ramanbhai-neelkanth-hasya-paritoshik/ | language=gu | access-date=13 April 2017}}</ref>
==Bibliography==
'''Novels'''
* ''Mumbai ma Mehmaan-Yajmaan Pareshan''
* ''Mehta na Monghera Mehmaan''
* ''Aa Duniya Panjarapole''
* ''Tapu Tapori''
* ''Kaise Yeh Jodi Milaye More Ram''
* ''Betaaj Batlibaaj Popatlal Taraaj''
* ''Albelun America, Vanthelun America''
* ''Salo Sundarlal''
* ''Champu-Sulu ni Jugalbandi''
* ''Kanu Kagdo Dahitharu Lai Gayo''
* ''Action Replay Part 1 & Part 2 (Autobiography)''
* ''Matka King Mandve Halo Africa''
* ''Utpatang America''
* ''Navrani Nondhpothi''
* ''Tarak Mehta no Tapudo''
* ''Tarak Mehta na Undha Chashma''
* ''2010 na Undha Chashma''
* ''Tapuda no Tarkhat''
* ''Tarak Mehta ni Toli Pardesh na Pravase''
* ''Pan Khay Popatlal Hamar''
* ''Khurshidas Makkhan Ghase''
* ''Dodh Dahya Tarak Mehta ni Diary''
* ''Lade Tenu Ghar Vase''
* ''Double Trouble''
* ''Return Ticket''
* ''Duniya ne Oondha Chashmah''
* ''Champaklal Tapuni Jugalbandhi''
* ''Ek Shaam Boss ke Naam''
* ''Hu, Boss ane Banevi''
* ''Naraji nu Rajinamu''
* ''Wah America''
* ''Tarak Mehta ni Navlikao''
'''Natak (Plays)'''
* ''Jojo Hasi na Kadhta''
* ''Dahpan ki Dadh''
* ''Bandhi Mutthi Lakhni''
* ''Ae to emaj Chale''
* ''Ek Murakhne Evi Tev''
* ''Tarak Mehta ni TV Natikao''
* ''Tarak Mehta na Ekankio''
* ''Tarak Mehta na Prahaaso''
* ''Aath Ekankio''
==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mehta, Taarak}}
* {{Gbooks-author|Tāraka Mahetā}}
[[Category:1929 births]]
* [http://www.tarakmehtakaooltahchashmah.com/who-is-original-tarak-mehta/ Tarak Mehta full information]
[[Category:2016 deaths]]
* [http://www.speakbindas.com/video-interview-of-tarak-mehta/ Interview of Tarak Mehta on SpeakBindas by Devang Vibhakar]
[[Category:Disease-related deaths in India]]
* [https://www.mumbaitheatreguide.com/dramas/features/06/aug/tarak_mehta.asp Interview by Prabodh Desai - An excellent source of information with many details about his work]
[[Category:Columnists]]
[[Category:Indian playwrights]]
{{Authority control}}
{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Literature & Education}}
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