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    With three blockbuster Hindi releases in a single year, Rashmika Mandanna has shattered industry norms,
               proving she’s not just India’s “National Crush” but also one of its most bankable and versatile stars

             EYE ON BOLLYWOOD                                                  NOVEMBER 07, 2025        |  The Indian Eye 40

             The Importance of Being Satish Shah: The Man

             Who Made India Laugh on Small & Big Screens

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            hania Le Jayenge in the 1990s to Kal
                                                                                                                  Ho Naa Ho, Main Hoon Na, and Om
            Mumbai
                                                                                                                  Shanti Om in the 2000s.
                 ew actors have managed to                                                                            In an era when supporting roles
                 leave behind as deep and en-                                                                     often blurred into the background,
            Fduring an imprint on India’s                                                                         Shah brought distinct character to
            comic imagination as Satish Shah.                                                                     each part. Whether playing the ge-
            The veteran actor, who passed away                                                                    nial principal, the bumbling bureau-
            in Mumbai at the age of 74 due to                                                                     crat, or the affectionate uncle, he
            kidney failure, was more than just a                                                                  infused warmth and credibility into
            performer — he was an institution in                                                                  every frame. His comic timing was
            himself, a bridge between theatre’s                                                                   impeccable, but his restraint set him
            discipline, television’s intimacy, and                                                                apart — he never forced laughter; he
            cinema’s vastness. With a career that                                                                 earned it.
            stretched over four decades, Shah                                                                         Directors loved him for his ver-
            wasn’t merely a comedian; he was a                                                                    satility. He could move seamlessly
            storyteller who used humor as empa-                                                                   from broad humor to understated
            thy, absurdity as truth, and laughter                                                                 emotion, often within a single scene.
            as connection.                                                                                        His mere presence added a layer of
                                                                                                                  familiarity — the kind of comfort
                      A PIONEER                                                                                   only an actor with both gravitas and
                                                                                                                  humility could offer.
                     hen  Indian  television  was
                     still discovering its narra-                                                                    A LEGACY OF HUMANITY
            Wtive voice in the early 1980s,
            Satish Shah became a household                                                                             atish Shah’s passing is not just
            name with Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi. Each                                                                         a loss for Indian cinema and
            week, viewers tuned in to see Shah                                                                    Stelevision; it is the departure of
            play a  different  character — from a                                                                 a man who taught the nation to laugh
            judge to a tailor, a doctor to a thief                                                                at itself without malice. As filmmak-
            — embodying the quirks of everyday                                                                    er Ashoke Pandit noted while con-
            Indians with astonishing ease. His                                                                    firming the news of his death, “It is
            ability to shapeshift while keeping                                                                   a huge loss for our industry.” For
            every role grounded in humor and                                                                      those who grew up watching him, it
            heart made him the show’s soul.                                                                       feels like losing a friend who had al-
                At a time when sitcoms were rare                                                                  ways been around — on TV screens,
            and often simplistic, Shah’s perfor-                                                                  in film theatres, in the background of
            mances elevated the form. His char-                                                                   family laughter.
            acters weren’t caricatures; they were                                                                     Over the years, Shah never
            reflections of the audience — flawed,                                                                 chased stardom. He didn’t need
            funny, and deeply human. Yeh Jo Hai                                                                   to. His artistry lay in making others
            Zindagi  didn’t  just  entertain;  it  set                                                            shine brighter — be it co-stars, sto-
            the template for situational comedy       To speak of Satish Shah is to speak of Indian comedy itself — grounded,    ries,  or  moments.  In  doing  so,  he
            in India, proving that laughter could                                                                 became the rare actor whose value
            come from observation, not exagger-                  warm, and unpretentious (ANI File Photo)         grew with time, not trends.
            ation.                                                                                                    To speak of Satish Shah is to
                It was this combination of re-  every frame without overshadowing   the 21st century but also proved that   speak of Indian comedy itself —
            alism and humor that made Shah’s   co-actors.                       situational humor, when performed   grounded, warm, and unpretentious.
            television work timeless. Long be-    Indravadan wasn’t merely a fun-  with intelligence and restraint, could   He brought dignity to humor and hu-
            fore  meme culture and streaming   ny  father;  he  was  satire  incarnate   transcend generations. Even years   manity to performance. His was not
            comedies, he had already mastered  — poking fun at class, pretension,  after the show ended, his one-liners   the loud laughter of slapstick but the
            the art of relatable absurdity.   and  the absurdity of modern  Indi-  continue to circulate online — an en-  quiet smile of recognition — of see-
                Two decades later, Shah found a   an family life. Shah’s portrayal was   during testament to his comic genius.  ing oneself mirrored on screen in all
            new generation of fans with Sarabhai   laced with warmth and wickedness   THE CHARACTER ACTOR         one’s imperfections and joys.
            vs Sarabhai, where he played Indra-  in equal measure. His banter with                                    As the industry bid farewell to
            vadan Sarabhai — the witty, sarcastic   Ratna Pathak Shah’s Maya and his     hile television gave Shah   him, one truth remains: India’s sense
            patriarch  of  an  upper-middle-class   camaraderie with his onscreen son    intimacy with his audience,  of humor will forever carry a touch of
            Mumbai family. The role was argu-  Rosesh became cultural benchmarks  Wcinema gave him scale. His     Satish Shah. Because to understand
            ably his career’s crowning glory,  for TV comedy.                   filmography reads like a timeline of   why laughter matters in our stories,
            showcasing his razor-sharp timing     Through  Sarabhai  vs  Sarabhai,  Bollywood’s evolution — from Kabhi   one must first understand the impor-
            and effortless ability to command   Shah not only reinvented himself for   Haan Kabhi Naa and  Dilwale  Dul-  tance of being Satish Shah.

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