For quite some time now, reports of Disha Vakani's return on Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah has been doing the rounds. Disha, who plays the central role of Dayaben, has been on maternity break since September 2017 and has still not returned to the show. Recently, there were reports that producer Asit Modi had given her an ultimatum of 30 days to return on the show.
However, the latest buzz is that Modi is in no mood to wait any longer and that the auditions for new Dayaben have already begun. In fact, a SpotboyE report said that the makers are looking for a new face for the role and have instructed the casting team to not consider established actresses for auditions.
Confirming about replacing Disha, Modi told Bombay Times: "I will have to start looking for a new Dayaben. No one is bigger than the show. Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah will go on with a new face because the family is incomplete without Dayaben."
He added, "So many working women in the country get pregnant, go on a maternity break, have babies and resume their jobs. Today, women continue to work even after having babies. We have given Disha leave, but we cannot wait forever. Having said that, replacing an actress is not an overnight process. The track has to be planned months in advance. Right now, we have started the initial process of auditioning for the character. We are still not sure what will happen in the future, but I would like to reiterate that the show must go on."
With this, it looks like fans of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah will soon see a fresh face as new Dayaben, although Disha will be missed by millions of viewers given that she was the highlight of the show and had brought the uniqueness in the character she portrayed.
