Exclusive - Taarak Mehta’s Monika Bhadoriya aka Bawri: Asit Modi held my dues for a year and threatened that he won't let me work in Mumbai, says 'Woh sabka paisa rokte hain'

After Shailesh Lodha, Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal, now Monica Bhadoriya aka Bawri has come out to share what all she went through when she worked on Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah. The actress, who quit the show in 2019, has made some severe allegations against Asit Kumarr Modi, his production house and Project head Sohil Ramani.
She accused the production house of having a bad working condition, treating their actors badly and mentally torturing them. In an exclusive interview to ETimes TV, Monika Bhadoriya aka Bawri alleged Asit Modi of not releasing her dues of three months for over a year. She revealed that she had to fight to get her hard earned money. Monica also mentioned that Asit Modi threatened her that he would not let her work in Mumbai which impacted her career.

Woh sabka paisa rokte hain.. be it Sailesh ji, Gurucharan Singh, Raj Anadkat, Jennifer, Neha Mehta
I had to fight for my hard earned money for one year even then they were not ready to release the payment. When I told them enough, now I’m going to file a complaint with CINTAA. That's the time they panicked and released my payment. During my entire six years journey with Taarak, I never got the payment which was decided. He would go back on his words, saying I don’t remember what was decided. Woh sabka paisa rokte hain.. be it Shailesh ji, Gurucharan Singh, Raj Anadkat, Jennifer, Neha Mehta everyone has faced issues. I fought for one year. I would go and sit in his office but there was no help. When I sent them a notice only after that they cleared my payment.
They said stuff like “Arre tumhari maa marr gayi, bhai marr Gaya paise Humne diye”
They humiliate actors as they are not humans. They will say stuff like “Arre tumhari maa marr gayi, bhai marr gaya paise Humne diye”. People who lose their loved ones only understand how tough it is to get normal. He would tell me “tumhari aukat kya thi when you came here, you had nothing, whatever you have is because of me.” When you came here you had nothing. All the actors who work here would come by auto rickshaws "Yahan kaam kar ke they have bought cars.” How can they make such comments if they are paying us for our services?
I would stay awake all night and then report on the sets early in the morning and would keep waiting
When my mother was admitted to the hospital after she was diagnosed with cancer, I had to stay back every night in the hospital for her. And they would call me early morning to the sets. When I would request them to understand my situation, they would refuse. “Bolte the aajao kuch zyaada kaam nahi hai.” When I would reach sets they would make me just sit for hours. I tried to complain to Asit Kumarr Modi also and he would say “Arre you concentrate on work, your mother will get better.” I would stay awake all night and then report on the sets early in the morning and would keep waiting. Even when my mom passed away he did not make a single call. Sohil would say “bahut logon ke bahut log marr jate hain par kaam toh karna padta hai”.
Sohil would say we are paying you so whatever we say you have to do
They tortured me on such a huge level that I used to feel it’s better to commit suicide than to work here. They had mentally tortured me. They would shout at me, misbehave. Sohil would say we are paying you so whatever we say you have to do.
Unhone mere saare paise maar liye joh decide hua tha Woh Kabhi nahi diya…
Asit Modi is such a big lair. He hired me for Bawri’s role on certain terms and conditions. He’d told me you start work on this amount and I will increase after 6 months. We will give you an increment. After 6 months, he stopped taking my calls, he would ignore me on the sets. After waiting for one and half years and working on the same amount, one day I reached his office. He started yelling at me at the top of the office. Then he agreed to pay me but he did not pay me for what was actually decided. Unhone mere saare paise maar liye joh decide hua tha Woh Kabhi nahi diya…
Asit Modi threatened me he would not let me work in Mumbai
Asit Kumarr Modi threatened me that he will not work in Mumbai. I was already going through a mental trauma of losing my mother and here he was threatening me to ruin my career. It had an impact on my career actually. I struggled to work after that. It impacted my life and career.
Sohil Ramani had an argument with Dilip Joshi also
Sohil Ramani is very badtameez and there’s no person on the set with whom he has not spoken disrespectfully. Once he had an argument with Dilip Joshi sir also and unhone Iska set par aana band karwa diya tha. He had mentioned that if Sohil is on the sets I won’t shoot. Asit Kumarr Modi had to interfere and he asked Sohil to stay away from sets some time and just remain in office till the matter defused. But nobody will speak against them till the time they are working there. I know when you ask them now, they will deny these situations because they are getting money.
TMKOC is a male chauvinistic place to work
Yes, Jennifer is telling the truth. That set is male chauvinistic. They will make the female actors keep waiting and male actors will finish their scenes first and leave. Despite being a TV show, female actors are paid way less than the male actors. Jaane hi nahi dete ghar they will make the actresses wait and finish male actors' scenes first.
When my mother was battling for life in the hospital, Munmun Dutta stood by me
Munmun Dutta was the only person from TMKOC who stood for me when my mother passed away. When my mother was battling for life in the hospital and the doctors called me saying she won’t survive come fast, she took a stand for me. TMKOC team was not letting me go, Munmun asked me to go. She told me I’ll speak for you. She fought for me. After that she also kept in touch with me. She invited me to her house and would always ask me how I was doing. She stood with me throughout.