Ghanshyam Nayak, the actor best known for his role of Nattu Kaka in the Hindi sitcom Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, succumbed to cancer on Sunday evening. He was 77.
Asit Modi, writer, director, and producer of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, took to Twitter and confirmed his demise. The show’s official Twitter handle also informed fans of the news. The tweet said, “It pains us to inform you all with a heavy heart about the demise of Mr Ghanshyam Nayak ji who played the role of Nattu Kaka in TMKOC,” and added that Nayak had been an “invaluable member” of the TMKOC family for all 13 years of its run.
Earlier this year, while undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, Nayak had shot for a special episode of the show.
Speaking to PTI, Modi revealed that Nayak was facing health complications over the past few months and that in the last few days, his health had really deteriorated. “He wasn’t keeping well for a long time. He had cancer. He always wanted to keep shooting. Even though he was unwell, work would always make him happy. I would look for opportunities to get him on the show. But it had become difficult for him to shoot. For the last two days, he was extremely unwell,” Modi told the news agency.
Nayak’s last rites were performed by his family members on Monday morning. The funeral was attended by the cast and crew of the show.
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Several of the show’s cast and other members of the film fraternity expressed their grief over Nayak’s death. Munmun Dutta, who plays the role of Mrs Iyer on TMKOC, took to social media and shared some pictures of herself with the late actor. She wrote, “The first picture is the last time that I met him. His fighting spirit and inspirational words, in the face of adversity, is what I remember the most.” She added that Nayak had recited two shlokas in Sanskrit to show them that his pronunciation was still clear after recovering from chemotherapy. “We gave him a standing ovation on the set,” she said.
The actor also visited Nayak’s house to pay her respects.
Producer and actor JD Majethia wrote, “He was one of the very few and the senior-most performers of the Bhavai art form. He was the Ranglo, a comedian who performs in front of the curtain while sets are being changed behind.”
Nayak appeared in nearly 100 Hindi and Gujarati films, apart from featuring in more than 300 TV serials. The veteran actor was also known for his work in the Gujarati theatre.
He is survived by his wife and three children.