Disha Vakani's co-star Jennifer Mistry opens up on working with her

Disha Vakani in a still from the show. Image sourced from mid-day archives

Disha Vakani became a household name with her character Daya ben from Tarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah. The actress left the audience in awe with her brilliant acting chops, gaining a massive fan following. However, the actress took off maternity leave in September 2017, and ever since then, Disha hasn't returned. While the show is still fetching great TRPs, the return and the replacement of Disha Vakani still remains the big question.

In an interview with The Times of India, Disha's co-star Jennifer Mistry opened up on working with her and also shared the pranks Disha would play on the sets. Jennifer, who plays the popular role of Mrs Roshan Singh Sodhi in the sitcom said, "We have shared our vanity van for almost 5 years. It was Disha, Neha (Anjali) and me. The room had only two beds at that time, so, Neha would be resting on one and on the other one, even if Disha was resting, when I used to walk in, she would get up and allow me to use it. She was so cooperative. Be it sharing food or helping while getting ready, she would always think about others and had a helping nature."

She continued, "During our make-up session also she would automatically move away for me, I had to never request her. She would sacrifice for others. There was a time when she was fond of photography and would make me her model. She would make me pose for her for hours and I used to request her to let me go (laughs). She would subtly crack a joke and everyone would burst into laughter and she would stand there with a poker face."

Mistry also shared a funny incident when Disha's phone number got leaked and she used to receive over 50 calls in a day. "She would attend all the anonymous calls and never ignored any of them. She would change her voice and speak in a manly voice, pretending to be her assistant. She would receive the call and tell everyone, 'hello kaun bol raha hai mam abhi shoot mein busy hai.' Disha patiently handled the entire thing. She is mind blowing and has a heart of gold. I used to keep telling her, 'Disha agar main 5% bhi teri tarah ho jaaun na main kahan pahuch jaaungi", Mistry said.

On the personal front, Disha tied the knot with chartered accountant Mayur Padia in Mumbai in 2016. The couple was blessed with a baby girl last year. Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, which began its journey in 2008 is one of India's longest-running sitcoms. It airs from Monday to Friday on SAB TV.

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