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EXCLUSIVE: Jennifer Mistry claims 'Except for 2-4 main TMKOC characters, everyone's mentally tortured'
Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah fame Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal, has made some explosive revelations about what goes on the set of Asit Kumarr Modi's show.
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Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal talks about her other co-actors being tortured on TMKOC set
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Jennifer Mistry makes shocking allegations against the makers of TMKOC
Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of sexual misconduct
Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal, known for her onscreen character Mrs Roshan Singh Sodhi in the popular sitcom, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, has levied some serious and shocking allegations against the show's producer and the production team. Jennifer, in an exclusive interview with Pinkvilla, shared that she has been mentally harassed by Operations Head, Sohail Ramani and Executive Producer Jatin Bajaj. In this new interview, Jennifer claimed that she isn't the only one who was harassed but her co-actors are also being mentally 'tortured.'
Excerpts from the interview:
On her payment being stalled
It was October 5 and I hadn't received my payment. I called up my accountant and she asked me to speak to Sohail. I asked why should I speak to him for accounts. She said, 'Sohail has asked you to talk to him.' I did not say anything, and on October 7, Monday, I went to meet producer Asit Modi in his office and after making me wait for two hours, he said, 'I'm going down to my car in this lift' and you have 2 minutes, tell me what do you want?' I told him, 'Sir, I haven't received my payment for the month of September.' To which, he said, 'I can't do anything, talk to Sohail.' I told him, 'Earlier also my half days were getting deducted and now my salaries are being put on hold.' He straight away said, 'I 'can't do anything. Sohail looks into it. Go and talk to him.' I told Asit, ''Sir, you will have to intervene and don't blindly trust people.'
About Operations Head Sohail Ramani's 'ego trip'
Sohail had his ego and had made up his mind that unless I call him, he won't release my payment. Finally, after 5-7 days, a friend of mine advised me that I shouldn't let go of my hard-earned money. Of course, I was also in need of financial support to run my house. I called up Sohail and asked, 'Have you blocked my payment?' His exact words were, 'Abhi call kiya hai na, aadhe ghante mein payment aa jayegi' (You've called now, your payment will be released in the next half an hour.) I asked him, 'Why did you stop my payment?' He said, 'Production vale se aisa baat nahi karne ka. Production sabse upar hai, actor neeche hai.' (Nobody talks to the production team like this. Production is above the actors)
On TMKOC co-actors being 'mentally tortured'
I didn't say anything but later, I realised that he was taking revenge for the passport incident where I had to take 3 hours leave to go to the passport office. Back then I'd warned him to talk to a woman respectfully. For this, he cut my half day and stopped my payment. His ego trip was on. There have been many similar incidents, one of them was, my younger brother died 8 months ago, he was the closest to me on earth. My maternal family isn't financially sound. My mother is very old, my sister is mentally retarded, my cousin is a 39-year-old widow and her mother has been paralysed for the past 22 years. My sister-in-law came to know eight days after my brother's demise that she was pregnant. I just casually told these things to Asit ji, and he asked Sohail, 'For how many days did she not come to work due to her brother's demise?' Sohail said '7 days' and Asit asked him to make payment for these 7 days. I touched Asit ji's feet because my entire bank account was exhausted from the medical expenses. I thanked him a lot but Sohail taunted me for paying those 7 days' money. He said, 'Uska bhai mara hai na, paise humne diye hain. Production incurred losses but gave money to her.' I even have witnesses to that who were standing and watching this. They covered this by calling me only for 5 days in November. Such similar incidents have happened numerous times, one can't even imagine. Except for the 2-4 main actors, this mental torture happens with everyone else on the set but no one will speak because they are working. Even I was under pressure for the past so many years. People are asking me, why did I raise my voice after 15 years. I gathered the courage now and that's why I told now.
On not only targetting Asit Modi
This is not only against Asit Modi, it is against Sohail who has harassed me mentally to an extreme level, and even Jatin because he would also talk to me inappropriately. I have been called back to work from my vacation in Maldives and made me do 1 scene of drinking lassi, and for the next 20 days, I was sitting idle at home. These things have happened with a lot of people here but let's see who speaks up.
I did not want this to blow out of proportion but I would still say that I am very grateful to the whole production house. I don't have enmity against anyone. Malav (former TMKOC director) quit the show, ask him, why he quit.
Disclaimer: If you know someone who has experienced sexual assault of any kind, is 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.
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