Who doesn’t recognize Jethalal and Babita Ji? Portrayed by Dilip Joshi and Munmun Dutta respectively, the Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (TMKOC) former star couple has won the hearts of millions. Nevertheless, their relative absence from the show in the recent past has fuelled speculations that the fan-favorite couple may be leaving the long-running sitcom.

The buzz started doing the rounds after people realized that both Jethalal and Babita Ji have gone missing in the current “Bhootni” track. In the present storyline, Gokuldham Society people have gone for a vacation to a spooky bungalow, with actors such as Popatlal, Bapuji, Sodhi, Taarak Mehta, and Anjali being an active part of it. But Jethalal and Babita Ji are missing, and fans are worried about their whereabouts.

But there has been a clarification in the situation by a report on ABP News. As per the production house of the show, Dilip Joshi and Munmun Dutta are very much there in the show. The current track of the show explains their absence by stating that Jethalal is on a business trip with his colleagues and Babita and Iyer are on a holiday in Mahabaleshwar.

Both the actors have been a part of TMKOC right from the beginning 17 years ago. Their on-screen rapport, particularly Jethalal’s lighthearted admiration for Babita Ji, has turned into one of the show’s favorite aspects.

Also Read: TMKOC actor Dilip Joshi aka Jethalal meets Olympic bronze medalist Aman Sehrawat; Fans call them, “2 Legends”

Over the years, TMKOC has seen several cast changes. Notable actors like Disha Vakani (Dayaben), Bhavya Gandhi (Tapu), Raj Anadkat, Gurucharan Singh Sodhi, and Neha Mehta have left the series. Addressing these departures, creator Asit Modi told SCREEN, “I’ve always put the show first. If any actor has issues, they can always reach out. It hurts when they make allegations, but that’s part of life.”

For the moment, rest easy, folks—Jethalal and Babita Ji are not leaving.