Taarak Mehta passed away at the age of 87.

Taarak Mehta, the popular Gujarati columnist, humorist and playwright, passed away at the age of 87 today.

The columnist's most popular work, Duniya Ne Undha Chashma, was adapted to the small screen as Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah on SAB TV. The show became a household favourite because of its witty take on everyday, ordinary issues.

Mehta, who has been a resident of Ahmedabad for the last 16 years, used to write for Gujarati dailies like Divya Bhaskar, and other publications like Chitralekha.

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The real Taarak Mehta, who passed away from a prolonged illness, was awarded the Padma Shri in 2015 for his literary contributions.