Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Oct 25: The veteran Bollywood actor Satish Shah, whose very presence in films elicited smiles and many a laugh and best known for his works in films like Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, Main Hoon Na, Om Shanti Om and the popular sitcom Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, died in Mumbai on Saturday. 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, said.
Ashoke Pandit, Shah’s friend and industry colleague, also confirmed his demise and said, “With a heavy heart, I want to say that our friend and a very good actor, Satish Shah, died around 2:30 pm today due to kidney failure. His health deteriorated while he was at home, and he was taken to the hospital immediately. Sadly, he couldn’t survive. His cremation will take place today. It’s a very big loss for the industry. I have worked with him on many projects. I was coming back from Piyush Pandey’s last rites when my family informed me about Satish’s passing.” “It is a huge loss for our industry. He was a very jovial person.”
Satish Shah is an Indian actor known for his work in films and television, particularly in comic roles. Born on June 25, 1951, in Bombay, he comes from a Kutchi Gujarati background.
Shah made his film debut in 1978 with Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan. He gained wider attention for his role as Municipal Commissioner D’Mello in the 1983 satire Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro. Throughout his film career, he has appeared in more than 250 movies, including Hum Saath Saath Hain (1999), Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004), and Om Shanti Om (2007). 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 several movies.
Not long ago, Shah during a conversation spoke about rejuvenating himself and not being in a hurry to die, saying, “I’ve stopped performing in public now, I mean in movies and otherwise. I have taken, you could say, a sabbatical, and it has been rather long. Pehle se meri fitrat main raha hai, main koi cheez enjoy karta hoon tabhi karta hoon. I stopped enjoying, I guess, for a while, so I thought maybe I’ll rejuvenate myself and then start all over again. I’m in no hurry to die.”
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. In addition to acting, he has been associated with comedy-based reality programming, including serving as a judge on Comedy Circus.
Throughout his film career, he appeared in more than 250 movies, including Hum Saath Saath Hain (1999), Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004), and Om Shanti Om (2007). His last film appearance was in Sajid Khan’s Humshakals (2014), which starred Saif Ali Khan, Riteish Deshmukh, Ram Kapoor, Tamannaah Bhatia, Esha Gupta and Bipasha Basu.
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.”