'Asrani lost everything by producing a film', revals Priyadarshan as he remembers working with the late actor on his final movies

'Asrani lost everything by producing a film', revals Priyadarshan as he remembers working with the late actor on his final movies

Veteran actor Asrani, who entertained audiences for over five decades, passed away on October 20 at the age of 84. His manager, Babu Bhai Thiba, confirmed the news, saying, “Asrani passed away today at 3 pm at Arogya Nidhi Hospital, Juhu.” His family also shared a heartfelt message on Instagram: “Our beloved, the one who brought smiles to everyone’s faces, Asrani ji is no longer among us. His passing is an irreparable loss for both Hindi cinema and our hearts. The indelible mark he left through his performances will remain eternal. May God grant peace to his soul. Om Shanti.”

Asrani’s last works were Priyadarshan’s upcoming films Bhoot Bangla and Haiwaan, both featuring Akshay Kumar. The filmmaker, who has collaborated with Asrani in about 19 films, reflected on their long partnership and friendship. “Only Hrishikesh Mukherjee has done so many films with him in the past. I think I have done about 19 movies with him.
That’s some kind of a record. I don’t think I have worked so many times with any other actor except, of course, Mohanlal.
I started working with Asrani from my second Hindi film, Gardish, onwards. He is in almost every Hindi film of mine, even my two latest — Bhoot Bangla and Haiwaan. I just shot the last shot of him five days back,” Priyadarshan shared.

Recalling their final days together on set, the director said, “His health had started failing, but he was still agile on the set. Ten minutes back, Akshay Kumar called me and said, ‘I’m feeling very low, remembering the two films, Bhoot Bungla and Haiwaan.’ We almost worked 35-40 days together.”

Priyadarshan also spoke of Asrani’s wisdom and humility, revealing one piece of advice that stayed with him. “He used to advise me not to produce films on my own because he had lost everything by producing a film. His presence was always welcome, and he used to make us laugh by telling old stories. He was such a good narrator; we laughed our guts out. We kept on telling him to share stories — stories of Raj Kapoor and the old days of cinema.”

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The filmmaker added that his bond with Asrani extended beyond professional collaboration. “I was always in touch with him. He used to call and say he missed us working together when there was a long gap. He was known to be a good person. It’s sad that, one by one, all the really good guys are gone. The old school was amazing — they were so dedicated. Asrani never went into his vanity van. He was always on the set, even when not shooting. Haiwaan will be his last film, and Bhoot Bangla will be his second to last,” he concluded.