Veteran Bollywood actor and comedian Govardhan Asrani, fondly known as Asrani, passed away on Monday after a prolonged illness. He was 84 years old.
He was cremated at the Santa Cruz crematorium, where his family had gathered for the last rites.
Asrani’s manager Babu Bhai Thiba told ANI, “Asrani passed away today at 3 pm at Arogya Nidhi Hospital in Juhu. He is survived by his wife, sister and nephew.”
What made the news even more heartbreaking for fans was that earlier in the day, Asrani had shared Diwali wishes on her Instagram story.
During his long and successful career, Asrani became one of the most loved faces of Hindi cinema. Known for his excellent comic timing and screen presence, he acted in more than 350 films across five decades.
He began his career in the 1960s and reached his peak in the 1970s, when he became one of the most bankable character actors of his time. Some of his most memorable roles are ‘Mere Apne,’ ‘Koshish,’ ‘Bawarchi,’ ‘Parichay,’ ‘Abhiman,’ ‘Chupke Chupke,’ ‘Chhoti Si Baat’ and ‘Rafoo Chakkar.
He has also worked in many hit films, including ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa,’ ‘Dhamaal,’ ‘Bunty Aur Babli 2,’ ‘R Rajkumar,’ ‘All the Best’ and ‘Welcome’ etc.
However, one of his most iconic performances is his role of the eccentric jail warden in the 1975 classic film ‘Sholay’, which became a part of Indian pop culture and is still remembered today.
Asrani also tried his hand at writing and directing. In 1977 he wrote, directed and acted in ‘Chala Murari Hero Banne’, which received critical acclaim. He also directed films like ‘Salaam Memsaab’ (1979) and was also active in Gujarati cinema, where he was equally popular.
He is survived by his wife Manju Asrani, his sister and nephew. The couple had no children.
