Sarabhai vs Sarabhai’s Rajesh Kumar, Aatish Kapadia remember Vaibhavi Upadhyaya: ‘She was a mountain girl’

Vaibhavi Upadhyaya tragically died on May 22 in a car accident in Himachal Pradesh. The late actor was only 33. She was known for her role as Jasmine in the family comedy Sarabhai vs Sarabhai. The team from the show, had fond memories of Vaibhavi. Writer Aatish Kapadia recalled how she impressed him with her audition, while Rajesh Kumar who played Jasmine’s boyfriend Rosesh recalled her as ‘a mountain girl’. (Also read: Vaibhavi Upadhyaya funeral: Gautam Rode breaks down, JD Majethia shares how accident occurred)

Vaibhavi’s funeral

The late actor’s last rites was held in Mumbai on Wednesday after her body was brought back to the city. Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai producer JD Majethia, Aatish along with actors Deven Bhojani and Sumeet Raghavan also attended to pay their condolences to Vaibhavi’s family. Actor Gautam Rode was seen getting emotional as he wiped away his tears at the crematorium.

Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai team remembered Vaibhavi

Speaking to Mid-Day, Rajesh shared his memories of Vaibhavi. He said, “She was a mountain girl, although she is from Mumbai. I realised we had common friends after I met her on set. She had some of the toughest tongue-twisters in her dialogues, but Vaibhavi would know them by heart after one glance and perform with absolute confidence. She had a photographic memory. Off camera, she loved listening to PJs; humour was her strong point.”

Aatish, who still seemed shocked by her passing, also told the newspaper, “I cannot use the past tense for her. I was mesmerised by her performance. The élan and confidence with which she performed stayed in my mind, but the show never got made. When we were [casting actors] for the character of Jasmine, she was my first choice. We had some great scenes together. She was confident enough to stand up to goliath actors including Satish Shah, Rupali Ganguly, Ratna Pathak Shah, Sumeet Raghavan, and Rajesh Kumar. There cannot be another Jasmine.”

On Tuesday, SP Kullu Sakshi Varma told the news agency PTI that after her car fell down a valley, Vaibhavi tried to get out and was grievously injured in the process. SP Kullu said, “Vaibhavi tried to get out of the vehicle through the window and sustained a head injury which proved fatal. She was rushed to Banjar Civil Hospital where the doctors declared her dead.” The police officer also confirmed that late actor was not wearing a seatbelt.