Urmila Jamnadas Asher, former MasterChef India contestant, passes away at 79

Urmila Asher passed away on Monday

Urmila Jamnadas Asher, the 79-year-old entrepreneur and a former contestant of MasterChef India, died on Monday (April 7) in Mumbai.

Urmila, who was fondly known as 'Gujju Ben', passed away on Monday, a post from her Gujju ben page posted.

"A Life That Inspired Millions

With profound sorrow, we share the passing of Mrs. Urmila Jamnadas Asher — lovingly known to the world as Gujju Ben / Baa — on 07/04/2025.

At 79, she became a symbol of courage, joy, and late blooming dreams. She reminded us that it’s never too late to start, to smile, to inspire. From her kitchen to your hearts, her warmth, laughter, and wisdom changed lives.

Let us not remember her with tears, but with the strength she showed us. The strength to be fearless. To love fully. To live joyfully.

Baa’s journey doesn’t end here — it lives on in every person she touched, every laugh she shared, and every soul she inspired.

We will carry her light forward," the post read.

Urmila Jamnadas Asher's last rites were held on Tuesday at the Chandan Wadi crematorium in Mumbai.

According to reports, Urmila Jamnadas Asher had lost her three children in tragedies.

Her daughter aged two and half year died after she accidentally fell off a building; her elder son died of a brain tumor, and her younger son died of heart failure.

Urmila ji motivated her only grandson, Harsh Asher, who was depressed after losing his upper lip in an accident.

It was during lockdown that the septuagenarian encouraged the family and led them to open up a small food business under the name 'GujjuBen Na Nasta.'

It delivered fresh food and snacks cooked by her all over Mumbai.

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A post shared by Gujju Ben na Nasta (@gujjubennanasta)

She was later seen as a contestant in the 2023 edition of MasterChef India. She became the first contestant to be evicted from the show then.

Asher has then told Times Of India, "In the same way that I appreciate the chances that “MasterChef India' gave me to try new foods, I am glad to see that others will continue to have them here. Despite my departure, I am carrying with me an abundance of wonderful memories and, of course, a wealth of new knowledge thanks to this fantastic show.”