Tarla Mehta was an Indian actress and theatre personality known for her work in Hindi and Gujarati cinema. She appeared in films such as Ek Ke Baad Ek, Shola Aur Shabnam, Sara Akash, Ghar, Gandhi, Heat and Dust and Ek Chadar Maili Si. She was also associated with Gujarati theatre and was the younger sister of renowned actress Dina Pathak.
One of her best-known film appearances was Shola Aur Shabnam (1961), in which she played Sandhya opposite Dharmendra. She also appeared in Basu Chatterjee's Sara Akash (1969) as Bhabhi.
Tarla Mehta was part of a prominent family associated with Indian theatre and the arts. Her sisters included Dina Pathak and theatre personality Shanta Gandhi. Sources describing her life note that she pursued theatre and drama studies in London before returning to India and becoming involved in Gujarati and Hindi theatre.
Her film career began in the late 1950s, with Malela Jiv (1956) among her early Gujarati-film credits. She subsequently appeared in Ek Ke Baad Ek (1960), Shola Aur Shabnam (1961), Ramat Ramade Ram (1964), Hastamelap (1969), Sara Akash (1969) and Ranakdevi (1973).
Tarla also appeared in Ghar (1978), where she played Aarti's mother, and in Richard Attenborough's Gandhi (1982) as Sarojini Naidu. She also appeared in the British-Indian production Heat and Dust and the Hindi film Ek Chadar Maili Si (1986).
Her career extended beyond acting. She was associated with theatre, journalism and cultural activities, making her contribution to Indian performing arts broader than her relatively small filmography.
Tarla Mehta died on 4 December 2011. Reliable public sources do not consistently document her exact birth date. One recent biographical account gives 30 April 1935, but this date is not corroborated by the major film databases, which is why it should be treated as unverified.