Our Bureau
Mumbai
Bollywood and television lost one of its most beloved actors on October 25, as Satish Shah passed away at his Bandra East residence following kidney-related complications. The 74-year-old actor, widely remembered for his iconic role as Indravadan Sarabhai in the cult TV show “Sarabhai vs Sarabhai,” had recently undergone a kidney transplant but collapsed suddenly while having lunch on Saturday afternoon.
The actor’s last rites were conducted at a Bandra crematorium on Sunday morning, with prominent figures from the film and television industry gathering to pay their final respects. Notable attendees included Jackie Shroff, Naseeruddin Shah, David Dhawan, Johnny Lever, and his “Sarabhai vs Sarabhai” co-stars Ratna Pathak Shah, Rupali Ganguly, Rajesh Kumar, and Sumeet Raghvan. Rupali Ganguly, who played his character’s daughter-in-law in the series, was visibly emotional and broke down during the funeral proceedings.
Memorable Career Spanning Four Decades
Shah’s illustrious career began in 1976 at the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, and gained recognition with Kundan Shah’s critically acclaimed “Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro” in 1981. Dubbed the ‘Comedy King’ of the 1980s for his diverse roles in sitcom “Ye Jo Hai Zindagi,” he continued entertaining audiences with memorable performances in “Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge,” “Main Hoon Na,” “Om Shanti Om,” and numerous television shows. The Kutch-born actor was also known for his dignity and wit, notably demonstrated during a 2023 incident at London’s Heathrow Airport where his composed response to racial prejudice earned widespread praise and an official apology from the airport.
