Veteran TV actress Kavita Chaudhary, known for 1989 show Udaan, passes away at 67

Kavita Chaudhary, popularly known for her role in the hit TV show, Udaan, has passed away at the age of 67. She reportedly died of cardiac arrest in Amritsar's Parvati Devi Hospital on Thursday, February 15. 

Chaudhary had battled cancer a few years ago, according to Suchitra Verma, Kavita Chaudhary's mentee and close friend. Verma said that Kavita even told her about chemotherapy and looked 'visibly in pain'. 

"I feel miserable to have lost her and never got a chance to meet her. I never knew her condition would deteriorate so much suddenly," she told IndiaToday.in. Verma also paid a heartfelt tribute to her mentor on her Instagram and remembered her as "a beacon of strength, inspiration and grace". 

She said in her post, "I first met Kavetaji at her humble abode in Versova for an assistant director interview. Little did I know that I was about to encounter the legend herself. As she opened her door, memories of her 'Bhaisahab' line from the Surf commercial echoed in my mind, and I couldn't help but utter it aloud. That moment marked the beginning of a bond that transcended mere friendship. She became my mentor, my guide, my spiritual guru, and above all, she became family (sic)."

Anang Desai, her batchmate at the National School of Drama (NSD), expressed his grief over her death.

Desai told The Indian Express, “I came to know this morning that Kavita is no more.  She died last night.  It is very sad.  She was our batchmate at the National School of Drama.  We studied together at NSD for three years during our training.  Kavita, I, Satish Kaushik, Anupam (Kher), Govind Namdev were together in the same batch."

She hailed from Amritsar and was noted for her portrayal of IPS officer Kalyani Singh in Udaan, a show she also wrote and directed. The show, based on the life of her sister Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya, was noteworthy for its representation of female IPS officers.

Chaudhary later produced shows such as Your Honour and IPS Diaries. She was also remembered for her role as Lalitaji in the Surf ads of the 1980s and 1990s, portraying a judicious and intelligent housewife.

Udaan was re-telecast on Doordarshan during the pandemic, and was recalled as an inspirational show by Smriti Irani.