Credit: Special Arrangement
Social media was flooded with reels and videos of actor Satish Shah’s funeral. One such emotional tribute was the team of ‘Sarabhai vs Sarabhai’ singing the credit song together, with a choked heart and tear-soaked eyes. There have been heart wrenching tributes to the man who brought humour, and made many of us realise the difference between humour and comedy.
Naseeruddin Shah’s no-nonsense, honest piece on his colleague from FTII days touched a raw nerve as he mentioned how “Follywood falls into the temptation of stereotyping actors”. (Follywood alludes to the Hindi film industry).
Naseeruddin Shah’s last line, “Alvida, dear friend, we’ll perform together in the big studio in the sky someday!” just made me want to be “up there” as well to witness this art in heaven.
Satish Shah was a high-energy actor, whose sharp wit and endearing smile will forever be etched in our memories. He was the warm-hearted, endearing Indravadhan Sarabhai, who never missed an opportunity to call his screen wife names like Kapti Kumari and dracula; he was the avuncular, mischievous prankster, a doting father-in-law and an annoying husband, whose famous punch line was, “Main mard hoon”! Satish Shah breathed life into his character with casual mannerisms like chewing his nails and getting graphic with his explanations. Being a film buff, I watch ‘Sarabhai vs Sarabhai’ whenever I need a shot of laughter. I like watching the timing and expressions of all performers (even those in the background). My acquaintances jokingly say I have a PhD in ‘Sarabhai vs Sarabhai’, as I know every line, the timing of every line, the expressions of the actors, the props, the furniture and colour of the rooms…the works!
However, Satish Shah was not just a Sarabhai. His D’Mello in ‘Jaane Bhi Do Yaroon’ (Another PhD film for me!), takes the cake (the Switzerland ka cake that he refers to in the film). The ‘Thoda khao, thoda feko’ was such a cult one-liner of the times. His ‘photo poses’ for the fake magazine journalists, Naseeruddin Shah and Bhakti Barve, his corrupt commissioner act, where he tells the corrupt realtor’s secretary, Neena Gupta, ‘Mud Island wale guest house mein tum aana’, and immediately turns to the irritating male assistant, Satish Kaushik, with a twist of voice, ‘Tum mat aana’; and then his expression as the dead D’Mello…he killed it with his brilliant act!
His presence in Sai Paranjpe’s frothy films, in Sooraj Barjatya’s family dramas and the popular DDLJ, where he wears his thick Punjabi accent with ease, Satish Shah’s presence made all the difference to the frames. He brought the 80s alive with laughter on Doordarshan with his various avatars in ‘Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi’. It was always thodi meethi, thodi khatti (a little sweet and a little sour), as that title song said.
I am not bidding you any adieu, Satish Shah. I have you locked in my memories and will continue to laugh (and cry) when I watch your work, time and again.