Kavita Chaudhary of 'Udaan' fame passes away after cardiac arrest

Kavita Chaudhary, star of the popular Doordarshan serial Udaan, died at a hospital in Amritsar following a cardiac arrest on Thursday night. She was 67.

The actor, also popular as the homemaker Lalita ji in the Surf detergent commercials in India in the late 1980s, was admitted to the hospital a few days ago.

"She passed away following a cardiac arrest last night around 8.30 in Amritsar at the hospital. She was admitted to the hospital a few days ago with low blood pressure. Her condition became critical later," Ajay Sayal, Chaudhary's nephew, told PTI.

Her last rites were held in Amritsar on Friday morning. The actor is survived by Sayal and her niece.

Chaudhary was best known for her portrayal of young IPS (Indian Police Service) officer Kalyani Singh in Udaan, which ran on Doordarshan between 1989 and 1991.

Besides playing the protagonist, Chaudhary wrote and directed the serial, which was inspired by the life of her elder sister and police officer Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya.

Udaan, which also starred Shekhar Kapur, revolved around the struggles of a woman aspiring to be an IPS officer. The critically acclaimed show, which inspired a generation of women to pursue public service, was brought back on Doordarshan for a re-run during the Covid pandemic.

Actor Amit Behl was among industry colleagues who offered condolences on Chaudhary's demise. "RIP Kavita Chaudhary, is baar aapne lambi udaan bhar li, Naman @CintaaOfficial @nsd_india," he wrote on X.

Later, Chaudhary produced the Doordarshan shows Your Honour and IPS Diaries.