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Tarak Mehta was one of the most distinguished Gujarati humorist, Play writer and author of the twentieth century who was famous for his writing skills with profound ability to draw humor out of ordinary happenings, while at the same time holding a mirror to society. He was born on 26, December 1929 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Tarak Mehta was part of a group of writers who saw literature (prose or poetry) as a tool for social change and as a pleasurable way to spend your reading time. It is important to note, though, that it was never scathing critique and vitriol that distinguished Tarak Mehta instead it was humor, satire, and wit used as a way to rouse readers out of their slumber to understand their own behavior as well as the flaws and eccentricities of their society. The content was not merely clean and family-friendly humor, but very subtle, sharp, and layered - all helping him to be one of the all-time favorites in Gujarati literature.
From an early age, Mehta had a love of literature and he loved theatre forms, particularly comic forms that involved a moral element. Upon completing his schooling, he was a translator and writer for a bit, but soon decided to simply make people laugh. His sharp observation of the everydays life, especially of the Gujarati middle-class home, would inform the bulk of his worth remembering and lasting contribution to literature. Tarak Mehta initially begin his passion with a weekly column in a Gujarati based periodical which was famous by the name "Chitralekha" in the year 1971. The column was called Duniya Ne Undha Chashma which in the english translation means "watching the world via inverted glasses." The column was a cultural-trend moment for Tarak Mehta and made Tarak Mehta popular amongst the Gujarati readers.
Ashvinkumar Mehta developed characters and circumstances that could easily belong to any run-of-the-mill Gujarati household: the joyous times, the sad times, mixups, disputes and celebrations all felt relatable for so many Gujarati families and communities in Gujarat. But it was the humor that really added the extra touch of brilliance in telling the stories. In any circumstance Mehta could find the humor whether it be a family argument, one member of the family disagreeing with the other, or what was considered social etiquette. Of course there was a lot of humor found hidden beneath the surface and undertone of everything about the critique of social norms, hypocrisies, and baited traditions. Mehta felt that if the family could laugh at their "mistakes" it meant they would be likely to correct them and that ethic was evident in all of his works.
Throughout the years, Mehta authored over eighty books, most of which were compilations of his columns. Each book was eagerly anticipated by readers who contributed to the culture of Gujarati literature. His works were known and read for their universality. Although they were indelibly entrenched in Gujarati culture, their imagery and emotional subject matter were relevant to all readership, regardless of background or culture. The middle class's anxieties about 'money', desires for social acceptance, conundrums of challenging generational stance issues, and questions of realness within an increasingly modern world were relevant to every reader. Mehta's work had an almost therapeutic element to it by being able to create evocations of amusement about their issues and distill it down to a lighter level, even when the issues were serious.
In addition to his columns, Tarak Mehta also wrote for stage, both plays and stage performances. The Gujarati theatre after the early 1980s developed imagery that often contained the same trademark wit and satirical relish. Gujarati theatre, in a sense, expanded Mehta's brand of humor, engaging the Gujarati public, reaching a much larger audience over time and continuing the humorous legacy of Gujarati writing established by earlier masters of Gujarati humor and literature. Mehta's style was conversational and included elements of vernacular speech, offering readers the experience more like they were hearing a neighbor's wit and storytelling of events than reading a segment of formal literature.
His influences reverberated far beyond literature. In 2008, in 2008, Indian television presented his world in a Hindi sitcom called "Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah," which was based on his columns, called "Duniya Ne Undha Chasm," which recast the spirit of the essays in a fictitious housing society within which people from all walks of life lived together. The sitcom translated this humour to a pan-Indian audience in households disassociated with the Gujarati language. It went on to become one of the longest running and most envious family sitcoms in Indian television history. Again, the sustained popularity of the show attested to the timelessness of his characters and experiences. While the television show did not represent Tarak Mehta's episodic stories in their totality - which for the sake of entertainment often exaggerated and invented description, the values of Tarak Mehta's character gossip - social harmony, encouraging, and humour during the hard times - was brought to screen. Through television, his name crossed households all over the country. At the level of broad generalization, his name exceeded the proportion of Gujarati speaking households in India.
Coming to serial, "Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah" is not simply a comedy show, it serves as a instruction menu for living happily in society. The serial exemplifies how people calling from different backgrounds, religions, and cultures can coexist as one family in a fictional Gokuldham Society. Every episode brought with it the ability to laugh however the laughter serves a lesson about togetherness, acceptance, honesty, and support. The members of Gokuldham Society laugh with each member of the society and cry with the of the society. They come to one another's happiness, celebrate holidays together, and are present during the rough patches. They show you how to be a collective community, which is vital. The idea conveyed in the serial contains commentary on social issues like bribery, uncritical belief, and gender equality in a serious and light-hearted way. It teaches children to defer respect and adults to respect their social responsibility. There is comedy, entertainment and sincerity highly visible in this serial and thus making it more entertaining and inspiring for all people. The amalgamation of entertainment, comedy, and sincerity making it more entertaining and inspiring for all people. This serials is a family serial and is watched by every age group people. Children, youths, middle age people and older ones are watching these episodes daily from so many years. Each day's episode provides laughter coupled with wisdom. Such types of serials must be encouraged so that the families living a society should learn to live in unity and promotes values like togetherness, love, bonding, care for elders and overall unity in diversity.
On March 1st, 2017, Tarak Mehta passed away, at the age of 87, of old age in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The passing of Mehta left many readers and the legacy of his worksque in Gujarati literature. Many mourned the news of the death of Mehta as even readers of his books, not necessarily attached to the show, mourned as well. There were numerous tributes from all walks of life where Mehta was noted a man who taught many readers the value of smiling despite the difficulties in one’s life. His works are still being read posthumously, and the television show continues and provides good laughter as a legacy and inclusion of his works in regular nightly programming.
The contribution of Tarak Mehta to Gujarati literature is not represented by a number of books and awards, but rather the comic, optimism, and social discourse that he generated. He built a world for people to make fun of their situation, to learn from their faults, but continue to have hope. He was awarded Padma Shree in 2015. In an era where negative is too frequently an author's mood, he developed a worldview that stands in contrast, he reminds us that laughter is not just a waste of time, laughter is, after all, one of the great panaceas, connectors, and motivators, one of the great therapies to pamper to.
In the whole of India, Tarak Mehta will always be known and remembered as the man who has given a new way of looking at the whole world to the Gujaratis - and the entire nation - through the undha chashma, or inverted glasses of humor and satire. His voice continues to vibrate in the laughter of his readers and viewers which proves "great humor never ages".
(Writer: Vivek Koul, owner of this blog)
Links to some older blogs:-
https://vivekkoulinsights.blogspot.com/2025/02/purmandal-sacred-site-for-devotees-of.html
https://vivekkoulinsights.blogspot.com/2025/02/with-its-countless-meadows-holding.html
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