Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (), often abbreviated as TMKOC, is an Indian sitcom and comedy based on the weekly column Duniya Ne Undha Chasma by Tarak Mehta for the magazine Chitralekha. Produced by Asit Kumarr Modi, it is one of the longest-running television series in India. The series premiered on 28 July 2008 on Sony SAB and is also digitally available on SonyLIV.
The series is set in Mumbai and follows the lives of the residents of Gokuldham Co-operative Housing Society, a diverse community with people from different cultural and regional backgrounds.
Most storylines focus on an individual, a family, or sometimes the entire society as they encounter and resolve various problems. The characters frequently support one another and celebrate festivals together, highlighting their close-knit bond.
A recurring theme centers on Jethalal Champaklal Gada, who often finds himself in comical situations and troubles, with brief moments of relief before new challenges arise.
The producers initially approached the StarPlus and Zee TV channels, to host the series. However, when they rejected their offer, Sony SAB decided to accept the script.
When the series completed 1,000 episodes on 6 November 2012, Asit Kumarr Modi stated that it took eight years for the show to finally be aired:
The filming for the series takes place in Film City in Mumbai. External filming for specific scenes has taken place in locations, for example: Gujarat, New Delhi, Goa and in overseas locations such as Leicester, London, Brussels, Paris, Hong Kong and Singapore.
From March to June 2020, filming shut down in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in India. During the same period, it was revealed that it was originally planned for two years and might have gone off-air in 2010 itself as stated by the original plan. The show started broadcasting its new episodes from 22 July 2020. In April 2021, due to the rise in COVID-19 cases, the Government of Maharashtra suspended the shooting of films and TV shows in the state. Because of this suspension, the showâÂÂs shooting from April to July took place in Daman.
The series was also dubbed in Telugu as Tarak Mama Ayyo Rama for ETV Plus and Marathi as Gokuldhamchi Duniyadari for Fakt Marathi.
Joshi and Vakani appeared as Jethalal and Daya in another SAB TV sitcom Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo in 2010.
In 2010, the cast of Khichdi made a special appearance to promote their film '. In that same year, Indira Krishnan appeared as Krishnaben to promote her show Krishnaben Khakhrawala.
In the special episode "Anand Ka Safar", it paid tribute to Rajesh Khanna, airing in July 2012 in which the cast members danced to Khanna's songs. In the same year, Giaa Manek appeared as Jeannie to promote her show Jeannie Aur Juju.
Crossover episodes with C.I.D. named "Mahasangam" aired in July 2014 in which CID visits Gokuldham Society to solve a murder mystery case.
Sumeet Raghavan, Rupali Bhosale and Punit Talreja from Badi Doooor Se Aaye Hai appeared in an episode in 2015.
In December 2021, cast of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah appeared in Kaun Banega Crorepati.
Comics based on characters from the series were launched as part of the SAB Ke Comics series in 2014.
An animated series based on the characters of the titled Taarak Mehta Kka Chhota Chashmah aired on Sony YAY! since 19 April 2021. It is also available on Netflix. A television film Tapu and the Big Fat Alien Wedding aired on 27 May 2022 on Sony YAY!.
In the first week of 2017, the show stood in the fourth position with 6,004 TVT ratings. In the fourth week, it entered the top five and stood in fifth position with 6,059 TVT ratings. In March 2017, the show remained within the top five shows in the urbanâÂÂrural metrics. From 19 to 25 June 2017, the show reached the top spot with 6,092 TVT ratings, before slipping to third position the following week with 6,049 TVT ratings. In the first week of 2018, it topped the charts with 6,961 TVT ratings.
From 14 to 20 October 2019, the show again secured the first position with 7,952 TVT ratings. Following the COVID-19 lockdown, from 13 to 19 July 2020, it returned as the number one show with 6,477 TVT ratings.
In May 2021, the series slipped to the last spot in the top-five TRP list, securing fifth position with 6,165 impressions.
In January 2025, the show recorded a 17% decline in ratings compared to the previous week, dropping from third position in Week 2 to eighth in Week 3, with a rating of 1.9. However, in June and July 2025, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah experienced a resurgence, topping the TRP charts for four consecutive weeks (Weeks 24âÂÂ27).
The absence of original cast members, particularly Disha Vakani since 2017, has been noted, with fans suggesting it has impacted the show's humour.
Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah is one of the longest-running television series in India and has gained national attention and developed a substantial following over the years, and is regarded as a cult classic and one of the greatest sitcoms in the history of Indian television. It completed 1000 episodes in November 2012, 2000 episodes in August 2016, 3000 episodes in September 2020 and 4000 episodes in February 2024.
In February 2015, Dilip Joshi, Disha Vakani, and Shailesh Lodha hosted the red carpet at the 60th Britannia Filmfare Awards to promote the Clean India campaign. In 2018, the Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad took up the show as a case study. It is also one of the most searched television series in India.
Decoding the reason behind Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmahs success, Yashika Singla of The Print stated, "The major appeal of the television show is the idea of ethics and 'Indian values' at the very core of its scripts. To its credit, it also talked about a multitude of social issues and created awareness about them in its own light-hearted manner. It also had an age-inclusive cast that set it apart from other family dramas, beyond the confines of a typical female-audience focusing saas-bahu serial."
The show faced a controversy in 2020 when Neha Mehta left the show, stating that: In 2022, she claimed that producers of the show have not cleared her dues after leaving the show. Neela Film Productions issued a statement: Shailesh Lodha left the show in 2022, and sued the makers of the show for being underpaid in 2023.
Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal quit the show in March 2023 accusing show producer Asit Kumarr Modi, executive producer Jatin Bajaj, and project head Sohail Ramani of sexual harassment.
In May 2023, Monika Bhadoriya accused Asit Kumarr Modi and project head Sohail Ramani of encouraging a hostile workplace. She further claimed that the producers have withheld the money of many artists. She also revealed that co-star Munmun Dutta argued frequently with producer Asit Kumarr Modi.
Palak Sidhwani, who portrayed Sonu Bhide accused the producers of exploiting her. The actor disclosed that she had received a legal notice from the production, alleging that she had breached her initial contract. In an interview with Bombay Times, Palak stated that she had chosen to leave the show for professional growth and health reasons. In response, the production house issued a statement claiming that Palak had violated several important rules in her exclusive artiste agreement. They alleged that she had engaged in unauthorized third-party endorsements and appearances without obtaining the necessary written consent. Palak, however, denied these allegations, asserting that she had informed the production house of her decision to quit well in advance and had followed the proper procedures.