Entertainment
Palak Sidhwani Speaks Out on Legal Notice After Quitting TMKOC: ‘Just Because I Want to Leave the Show’
Palak Sidhwani Speaks Out on Legal Notice After Quitting TMKOC: ‘Just Because I Want to Leave the Show’
Palak Sidhwani, who plays Sonu Bhide on the hit series Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (TMKOC), has accused its makers of exploitation. Neela Film Productions sent her a legal notice alleging she had breached her contract—but Palak says this came only after she told them on August 8 that for the sake of both career progression and health she wanted out.
In an interview with the Bombay Times, the actress disclosed, “I was due to leave anyway because I need to grow professionally, which wasn’t possible had I stayed on; also, my health was suffering.” What has left her particularly upset is the claim about breaking rules in their exclusive artist agreement, such as doing public appearances without permission alongside endorsements from third parties—something that Palak insists never happened anyway after joining TMKUC last year.
In response, Palak expressed frustration about the claims. “I signed a contract with them five years ago. However, they did not give me a copy until September 19, 2024,” she said. During the pandemic, she continued to do brand endorsements at their request. “But now that I’ve said I want to leave, they make these accusations against me.
It feels very much like this is on purpose to make an easy thing difficult.”She went on to say that despite many meetings about it, there has been no resolution; as a result, Palak explained how she’s talked to lawyers for advice on how to best safeguard her career going forward. “After everything—after five years!—I never saw this coming from them. It’s almost as if they want to do things that will complicate my exit unnecessarily,” added Palak.
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About Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah
One of India’s oldest sitcoms, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, is based on Tarak Mehta’s weekly column Duniya Ne Undha Chasma for Chitralekha magazine. Produced by Asit Kumarr Modi, the show debuted on Sony SAB on July 28, 2008, and is currently accessible via streaming on SonyLIV.
