Taarak Mehta’s Babita Ji fumes at those who laughed, clicked selfies at Dr Hathi’s funeral

Television actor Kavi Kumar Azad, who was a favourite among fans for playing Dr Haathi on popular show, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashma, died on Monday. His death was shocking for his family, friends, fans and colleagues.

A host of television actors paid their final respects to the actor at his funeral on Tuesday but Munmun Dutta, who plays Babita Ji on the show, was left angry by a few people’s behaviour. According to a report in India Today, she took to her Instagram stories to share her anger at people who were laughing during the sensitive moment and trying to click selfies with the stars.

“I am really appalled with the way people were behaving when we went to pay our last respect to Hathi Bhai at his house before his cremation. Clicking selfies, shoving cellphones in our faces, making videos, be it aunties, uncles or even younger ones,” she wrote in her post. “I shouted at two people for shoving their cellphones in my face in the crowd. I saw people in the neighbouring building laughing while spotting us and clicking our pics. I saw zero respect on their faces, and left the place before it turned into a tamasha for others,” she added.

Azad died suddenly Monday morning following a massive cardiac arrest. Kavi was not married and stayed with his mom, dad, sister and brother.

Kavi played the role of Dr Haathi on Taarak Mehta for nine years, having replaced actor Nirmal Soni, who played the role for a year since the show’s inception, in 2009. Apart from working on the small screen, he also featured in a few films including Aamir Khan’s Mela, Jodha Akbar and Funtoosh.

“We are very sad to inform loss of our senior actor Kavi Kumar Azaad. He was playing the character of Dr Hathi in Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma. We lost him to a massive cardiac arrest today morning. He was an amazing actor and a very positive person. He truly Loved the show and always came for the shoot even if he was not feeling well. He called today morning that he is not well and will not be able to come for shoot. And later we got the news that he passed away. We are all too numb to say anything,” the show’s producer, Asit Kumarr Modi, said in a statement.

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