Mumbai , August 18 (IANS) ‘Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah’ actress Sonalika Joshi, who plays Madhavi Bhide, shared glimpses of a special Independence Day celebration as the cast of the popular sitcom participated in the 44th India Day Parade in New York.
The parade, organised by the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA), was held on Madison Avenue in Manhattan as part of the celebrations marking India’s Independence Day.
The Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah team, led by creator and producer Asit Kumarr Modi, was among the Indian television personalities who joined the celebrations.
Sonalika shared pictures and videos from the event on her social media account. In one of the videos, she can be seen waving to the crowd from an open vehicle as it moves through the centre of the road. Large crowds of fans and onlookers can be seen standing behind barricades on either side of the road, waving Indian flags and cheering for the cast.
Dilip Joshi, who plays Jethalal, Munmun Dutta, who essays Babita, Mandar Chandwadkar, who plays Atmaram Tukaram Bhide, and Sonalika Joshi were among the familiar faces seen at the parade. Nitish Bhaluni, who currently plays Tapu, was also part of the celebrations. Balwinder Singh Suri, who plays Roshan Singh Sodhi, was among the other members of the team present in New York.
Sharing the video, Sonalika wrote, “Proud proud proud moment for us.Very Grateful to FIA who invited us USA to celebrate the 44Th India Day Parade ..Had all life time memories Happy Independence Day to All.”
In another post, she shared a closer glimpse of herself dressed in traditional attire, wearing an Independence Day parade sash and tricolour badge, while waving to the crowd.
Her caption read, “Surrounded by so much LOVE, APPRECIATION &RESPECT ..overwhelming moment for us.
#newyork #madison #independenceday #parade
Thank you FIA once again”
The celebrations also saw the iconic Empire State Building illuminated in India’s tricolour of saffron, white and green.
The Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah team has been enjoying a special year, with the sitcom recently completing 18 years on July 28, 2026. The show, which premiered in 2008, has remained one of Indian television’s longest-running sitcoms.
Dilip Joshi as Jethalal, Amit Bhatt as Champaklal, Mandar Chandwadkar as Bhide, Sonalika Joshi as Madhavi, Munmun Dutta as Babita Tanmay Vakeria as Baga and Tanuj Mahashabde as Iyer are among the actors who have been associated with the show since its beginning.
Over the years, many popular faces have, however, moved on from the sitcom. Disha Vakani, who played the much-loved Dayaben, has been away from the show for almost 10 years. Shailesh Lodha, who played Taarak Mehta, and Neha Mehta, who played Anjali Mehta, also exited the series. Bhavya Gandhi, the original Tapu, was later replaced by Raj Anadkat, who in turn was replaced by Nitish Bhaluni in the role.
Other prominent actors who have left over the years include Gurucharan Singh as Roshan Singh Sodhi, Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal as Mrs Roshan Sodhi, Nidhi Bhanushali as Sonu and Kush Shah as Goli. The show has also seen the loss of actors such as Kavi Kumar Azad, who played Dr Hathi, and Ghanshyam Nayak, who was fondly known as Nattu Kaka.
–IANS
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