It's confirmed! Nirmal Soni who earlier played Dr. Hathi in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah will reprise his role after the sudden death of Kavi Kumar Azad. While it was earlier speculated that Nirmal will step in Azad's shoes after the latter's sad demise, the makers have now confirmed it's true. As per a report in Spotboye, the makers couldn't find a suitable actor who could generate spontaneous humour like Kavi Kumar Azad. They eventually decided to ask Nirmal Soni and he willingly obliged.  Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah Team Cancels 10th Anniversary Celebrations Due to Dr Haathi’s Unfortunate Death

The actor has even started shooting for his comeback episode that will air on September 13. As per the report, the episode will show Gokuldham residents celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi. The makers have even explained a valid reason behind Dr. Hathi's disappearance from the show for so many days. According to the same report, Dr. Hathi was busy affecting the flood victims in Kerala where he had set up a medical camp. Nirmal who played the same character for eight long years is glad to be back on the sets. Disha Vakani Aka Daya Ben of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah’s Gets Tagged in Vulgar Posts, Actress Warns Fans

Speaking about the difficulty of casting someone for the role, a source was quoted saying, “Kavi was extremely funny. You saw him and you started laughing-- not because of his weight but because of his facial expressions. He was all the time so good at his job, the character had almost got into him even in his daily life. We definitely want someone as Dr. Hathi in the episodes ahead, but we surely could not cast anybody for just the heck of it. Kavi raised the standards so high that the next Dr. Hathi has to be at least extraordinary if not as good as him. Nirmal is the best bet for now.”

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 08, 2018 12:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).