Amritsar, 16 Feb

Actor Kavita Chaudhary, the canny, kind Lalitaji from 1980s ad for Surf detergent and star of the popular Doordarshan serial "Udaan", died in a hospital here following a cardiac arrest. She was 67.

Chaudhary -- still remembered for the two roles, one a homemaker and the other an IPS officer, more than three decades ago -- was admitted to hospital a few days ago and died on Thursday night.

"She passed away following cardiac arrest last night (Thursday) around 8.30pm in Amritsar at the hospital. She was admitted to the hospital a few days ago due to low blood pressure. Her condition became critical later," her nephew Ajay Sayal said. The last rites were held here on Friday morning. The actor is survived by Sayal and her niece.

A graduate of the National School of Drama, she acted, wrote and directed "Udaan", a progressive show about women empowerment centred around an IPS officer, Kalyani Singh. It ran on Doordarshan between 1989 and 1991. The show, which also starred Shekhar Kapur and Vikram Gokhale, was inspired by the life of Chaudhary's elder sister and police officer Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya.

The critically-acclaimed show led to many women aspiring to join public service. It was brought back on Doordarshan for a re-run during the pandemic.

Her batchmate, actor Anang Desai, remembered Chaudhary with fondness. “Kavita and we were classmates at the National School of Drama. Kavita, Anupam, myself, Satish and others, we were all in the same class so I know her since then. I also have many special memories with her. We were socially connected and have met in Mumbai several times. She is remembered for all that she has done. This is very sad news. It’s been a couple of years since we met.”

Kapur also expressed his shock at the news of her death. "She created #Udaan, one of the most inspirational series of her time. So many women now in high positions in Indian Civil Services come to me and say they were inspired by Udaan. She was an amazing director...," he said in a post on X.

"RIP Kavita Chaudhary, is baar aapne lambi udaan bhar li,Naman @CintaaOfficial @nsd_india," colleague and actor Amit Behl said.

After "Udaan", Chaudhary produced two more Doordarshan shows "Your Honour" and "IPS Diaries".