Joshi's remarks came at a press conference marking 18 years of the show, one of Indian television's longest-running sitcoms. Asked about Vakani, who has been absent from the show since 2017, the actor did not shy away from acknowledging the gap her absence has left.
"It is obvious that for the last 10 years, Disha and I have been connected through this show. People know that we have done these amazing scenes together. So, we definitely miss that chemistry and those scenes," Joshi said, referring to the pair's decade-long screen partnership before her departure.
Joshi also revealed that the show's producer, Asit Kumarr Modi, has privately expressed similar sentiments about the on-screen dynamic between Jethalal and Dayaben, particularly the domestic scenes that were a staple of the show's early years. "Recently, Asit ji was telling me that he also misses those scenes shot at home. He keeps thinking about how to bring such scenes back. He has the ideas, but it is not happening in the script," Joshi said, suggesting that while there is creative appetite to revive that chemistry, no concrete plans have materialised.
The actor was candid in his praise for Vakani's contribution to the show, describing her performance as something the series has been unable to replace. "The level of work that Disha has done as an actor, I definitely miss it," he said, a comment that reflects the enduring popularity of the Dayaben character among the show's fanbase even years after her exit.
Joshi ended his remarks on a hopeful note, leaving the door open for a possible comeback, however uncertain. "I hope a miracle happens and she returns," he said, a sentiment likely to resonate with longtime viewers of the show who have continued to ask after Vakani's character despite the passage of nearly a decade.
Vakani, who became a household name for her portrayal of Dayaben, stepped away from "Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah" in 2017 after going on maternity leave. Her absence has been felt keenly by fans, and the show has since worked around the character's continued offscreen presence in the storyline, with Dayaben referenced but not shown for extended stretches.
The sitcom, produced by Asit Kumarr Modi, first went on air in 2008 and has remained a fixture of Indian television since, chronicling the lives of residents in the fictional Gokuldham Society. Its 18-year run was the occasion for the press interaction at which Joshi's comments were made, with the show's continued popularity underscoring the audience appetite for its original cast to reunite on screen.
Neither Vakani nor her representatives have issued a public statement regarding a potential return to the show.
.jpg.jpeg)
