Exclusive - Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah's Palak Sindhwani quits the show; alleges the production house of exploitation, mental harassment and trauma amidst the 'breach of contract' controversy

Palak Sindhwani, widely recognized for her role as Sonu Bhide in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, recently made headlines when reports surfaced that the show's producers were planning to send her a legal notice for allegedly breaching her contract. Recently, the production house, Neela Film Productions, has now released an official statement confirming that they have sent a legal notice to the actress. Now, in an exclusive update, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah actress Palak Sindhwani has officially stepped away from the show and her last day of shoot will be September 30th. While talking to Times Of India TV, Palak alleged that she faced exploitation, mental harassment, and trauma during her time on the show and it all began after she announced that she wants to quit TMKOC. (Photo: Instagram)

On August 8, 2024, I informed the representative from Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah about my decision to quit the show, citing personal reasons, including health issues, and after completing five years. The representative acknowledged my request and mentioned they would discuss it with the team, assuring me that there shouldn't be any issues. They indicated that I would need to serve a notice period of 2-3 months, allowing me to conclude my journey positively by the end of the year. I expressed my desire to leave on good terms, highlighting my positive experiences over the past five years, and asked for guidance on submitting a written application. The representative responded that no written notice was necessary and promised to confer with Asit sir before providing me with an email address. (Photo: Instagram)

While Asit sir was out of town, I had a meeting with him on September 7 upon his return. I expressed my feelings and shared my concerns, stating my desire to leave the show on good terms. He insisted that I shouldn't even consider quitting before May 2025. I responded that my mental and physical health wouldn’t allow me to stay until then, so I suggested we find a middle ground to avoid any conflict. (Photo: Instagram)

He began to manipulate me by saying that if I left before May, it would hurt him, and he wouldn’t appreciate it. Eventually, he suggested January, but I mentioned I was considering November. However, he reverted to his earlier statement about how leaving before May would be hurtful, urging me to think it over. I exited the meeting after that. The following day, I continued to request the email address so I could formally resign, as I was certain I no longer wanted to stay; I wasn’t happy anymore. My enthusiasm had completely faded. (Photo: Instagram)

I felt that if I resigned now, they would let me go in next 2-3 months. On the 13th, I received a call informing me that I would soon be getting a notice regarding a breach of contract, and I had previously been given an ultimatum about it. I was shocked because nothing like that had happened before. Before the media call, the makers of Taarak Mehta hadn’t informed me about any breach. I learned from the media that they were planning to take action, and reading that article deeply affected me while I was shooting for the show. I reached out to them, expressing that it was impacting me both mentally and physically and requested an urgent meeting with someone from their team to discuss this. I mentioned my anxiety about surviving the next five days, but they told me that no one could meet with me before Wednesday. My concerns were dismissed. (Photo: Instagram)

Finally, on Wednesday, September 18th, I had a meeting with the Taarak Mehta team. I asked them what exactly was the breach of contract, as I’ve been doing ads for the last four years and was never informed about any issues. When I signed the contract five years ago, I was verbally told at night, while signing, that I could do ads because I come from the ad industry. They clearly said, 'Ads aap kar sakte ho, koi dikkat nahi hai.' At the time, they told me not to worry about the contract copy, saying it was just a normal formality and nothing significant. This all happened in 2019 when I joined the show. (Photo: Instagram)

They never discussed any exclusivity contract with me, but as soon as I expressed my desire to leave the show in August, the exploitation began. They likely thought I wouldn’t wait until May to leave, so they started treating me unfairly. The exploitation reached its peak when they accused me of breaching the contract. I was affected by the media reports, but I didn’t stay silent. I kept asking when I could officially resign. It was emotionally draining—I was hurt inside and mentally affected. I would cry in my makeup room and then pull myself together for the shots. (Photo: Instagram)

I was deeply hurt because I’ve dedicated five years to the show, and I don’t deserve this treatment. I requested a meeting, which was held on September 18, and during the meeting, they told me for the first time that I had breached the contract. This only came up after I announced I was leaving the show. When I asked for a copy of the contract, they gave it to me on September 19, just a day after the meeting. During the September 18 meeting, they even threatened me, saying they could delete my Instagram account in one go because they have such a strong team, and that I wouldn’t be able to shoot brand endorsements anymore. I pointed out that almost all the actors are doing brand endorsements, so why was I the only one being accused of breaching the contract? They responded that their contracts are different and I shouldn’t compare myself with others. They also started speaking to me rudely, using the same harsh language they use with others. (Photo: Instagram)

They not only threatened me but also demanded that I share the names of the brands I worked with and the amount I earned from those shoots. I was shocked and questioned them, as nothing like this had happened in the last five years. This is all happening now because I want to quit the show. It’s wrong and completely unacceptable. Until then, they hadn’t sent me a legal notice, but when they realized I wasn’t intimidated, they sent the notice on September 20. (Photo: Instagram)

I wasn’t expecting this from them after serving so sincerely and passionately for five years. The email ID I had been requesting to submit my resignation was only given to me on the same day they sent the legal notice, demanding payment for damages. They deliberately delayed it so I couldn't submit my resignation on time. In all my five years, I’ve never been involved in any controversy or received a legal notice, so this entire situation gave me panic attacks. (Photo: Instagram)

I was still shooting for them, even while dealing with health issues, and I had submitted my medical reports. I asked them to consider my condition and grant me some leave, but instead, they kept making me shoot for 12 hours straight, to the point that I couldn’t even meet anyone or respond to their legal notice because I was stuck on set. Only I know how I managed the last 6-7 days. I've been mentally harassed by them, and these have been the most traumatic days of my life. They call me to shoots and make me sit for 12 hours, even though my actual work only takes 30 minutes. (Photo: Instagram)

Finally, I consulted DSK Legal and showed them the contract. Their team told me it's a clear case of exploitation. They advised me not to stay silent, as the production house is demanding money from me without any fault of my own. Why are they suddenly accusing me of breaching the contract? I've been shooting for brands since the lockdown, representing myself as Palak Sindhwani, not as Sonu Bhide. Other artists are doing the same. My legal team has confirmed this is a clear case of exploitation, especially after first threatening me and then sending a legal notice. (Photo: Instagram)

Finally, yesterday afternoon (September 27), I responded to the legal notice with a legal notice of my own. I have clarified that if I had breached the contract, why were they silent for the last four years? I’ve asked why I was not given a copy of the contract earlier, and why they never discussed the matter of exclusivity with me. I’ve also informed them that I’ve been telling the Taarak team since August that I am quitting the show. After everything that has happened, I won’t continue after September 30th. I can't work in this toxic atmosphere where they’re doing so much behind my back. (Photo: Instagram)

Palak issued a statement alleging that the production house has not settled her outstanding dues of Rs 21 lakhs while still expecting her to continue working. The statement reads, "Till date Palak is not even paid her outstanding dues which is over 21 Lakhs. This shows that production house is in breach and not Palak. In fact Palak is not contemplating filing a criminal and civil case of harassment and torture against the concerned officials of the production house." (Photo: Instagram)