Veteran actor Satish Shah passed away on October 25 at the age of 74 due to kidney-related ailments. As Bollywood mourns the loss of the comic legend, longtime collaborator Shekhar Suman opened up about his bond with Shah.
Shekhar Suman remembers their collaborations
In conversation with News18 Showsha, Shekhar Suman recalled his long-standing bond and collaborations with him. He shared, “It’s very, very sad. We did a lot of movies together. We did TV serials and co-judged Comedy Circus. I worked with him in a film called Tere Bina Kya Jeena, where he was one of the protagonists. It was a very good role where my character hires him as a contract killer to kill myself and then backs out. His character just pops out of an asylum and he’s hell-bent on killing me as I try to run away. We spent a lot of time together—about 40 days—during that film.”Elaborating further, he added, “It also had Utpal (Dutt) da, and all of us had a great time during the shoot. Satish also had a substantial part in Dekh Bhai Dekh. He was a great guy to work with—such a whole lot. of fun, both off-screen and on-screen,” Suman recalled. “It’s very sad that in these five days, we lost Madhumati, Pankaj Dheer, Asrani saab, Piyush Pandey and now him. It’s very, very shocking.”
Strange last connection
Shekhar also shared that he had connected with the veteran star shortly before his passing over a series of mysterious calls. “It’s very eerie that the whole of last month and the month before that, Satish kept calling me and disconnecting the call. And each time, he sent me a message that read, ‘Sorry, dialed by mistake.’ I told him, ‘I hope you make these mistakes more often, Satish.’ And he kept telling me that he will call me back,” he said.He added, “His wife and my wife are friends. I came to know that he wasn’t keeping well for a long time. I tried to speak to him but a couple of times, his phone was switched off. And the times he called me, he used to disconnect the call. I see this as a strange sort of a connection. Why was he calling me, then disconnecting and texting me? So, that was the last time that I connected with him in a way.”
Last meeting and observation
Recalling meeting him at a party last, Shekhar added, ““He had become pale. He was looking frail and he had gray hair. He had changed a lot. I remember asking him if he’s doing well and he told me that he is but is taking it easy. He had shifted somewhere in BKC and was staying there. I used to see his pictures here and there, sporadically. I don’t think he was active in films or television lately. I think he had taken a hiatus.”He said, “It’s a personal loss when you lose anyone from the film industry. You’ve worked, met or been close to practically everyone. Whenever they go away, I feel sad. There’s a lot of warmth, camaraderie, friendship and bonding, and they all become like family. It feels like losing a family member. I don’t know about others but I feel depressed for a very long period of time.”
Remembering Shah’s iconic roles
Shekhar Suman remembered Shah’s iconic roles and lasting impact. “I’m thinking of Satish starting with Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi, then Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron and Sarabhai vs Sarabhai. I’m thinking of all the brilliant roles he played and the times we spent together, visiting each other’s homes. And now, suddenly, he’s gone—forever. I’ll never meet him again, maybe only in another world. It’s deeply saddening and feels almost like a personal tragedy,” he concluded.
