Mumbai, Oct 25: Bollywood actor Satish Shah, whose very presence in films such as “Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron” and “Main Hoon Na” and sitcom “Sarabhai vs Sarabhai” elicited smiles and many a laugh, has died. He was 74.
The ever amiable Shah passed away at his residence in Bandra East in the afternoon, Ramesh Kadatala, his trusted aide and personal assistant for over 30 years, told PTI.
Ashoke Pandit, Shah’s friend and industry colleague, also confirmed his demise and said, “It is a huge loss for our industry. He was a very jovial person.”
Born on June 25, 1951, Shah was a prominent figure in Indian cinema and television. His career spanned several decades, during which he earned acclaim for his comedic timing in movies such as “Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro”, “Maalamaal”, “Hero Hiralal”, “Main Hoon Na” and “Kal Ho Naa Ho”.
A graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), he initially appeared in minor roles in films such as “Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan” (1978) and “Gaman” (1979).
He became a household name after he featured in filmmaker Kundan Shah’s 1983 cult classic “Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro”, playing the role of the corrupt Municipal Commissioner D’Mello.
The film, a satirical comedy on corruption, starred Shah alongside renowned actors like Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, and Pankaj Kapur.
He was also known for his roles in television series such as “Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi” (1984), where he portrayed 55 different characters across 55 episodes, and “Filmy Chakkar” (1995), where he played the character Prakash.
In the early 2000s, he starred in the popular sitcom “Sarabhai vs Sarabhai” alongside Ratna Pathak Shah, Rupali Ganguli, Sumeet Raghavan and Rajesh Kumar.
Shah portrayed Indravadan Sarabhai, the sarcastic yet endearing patriarch of the Sarabhai family, in the show, which maintained a loyal fan base even years after it went off air. The series returned briefly in 2017 for a second season.
Shah also appeared in several mainstream blockbuster films, including Shah Rukh Khan’s “Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa”, “Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge”, “Main Hoon Na”, “Kal Ho Naa Ho”, “Om Shanti Om” and Aamir Khan’s “Fanaa” and “Akele Hum Akele Tum”.
He was married to designer Madhu Shah.
Many prominent personalities from the film industry condoled Shah’s death on social media.
“Rest in peace dearest Satish. you were a joy to know n work with. will miss u sending me memes n jokes everyday (si),” wrote “Main Hoon Na” director Farah Khan on Instagram.
Karan Johar posted a photo of Shah on his Instagram Stories and said, “Satish Shah, Om Shanti.”
