David Dhawan remembers his 50-year friendship with Satish Shah; says, 'He was full of life'

David Dhawan speaks on Satish Shah death

Veteran filmmaker David Dhawan is heartbroken over the loss of his dear friend and colleague Satish Shah, who passed away on October 25 at the age of 74 due to kidney failure.

Speaking to HT City, David Dhawan reflected on their enduring bond that began during their days at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and lasted five decades.

“You don’t even know how close we were. We passed out from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) together. Forget the number of films we did, we knew each other for 50 years! I did my editing, he did acting. This news is a shock,” he said.

The duo shared a strong professional and personal rapport, working together in comedy hits such as Hero No. 1 (1997) and Saajan Chale Sasuraal (1996).

David Dhawan fondly described Shah as “full of life,” and added that he remained active and jovial despite health struggles in recent years.

“I have such great memories with him. He used to get his dialysis done from Lilavati hospital in Mumbai. If I would be shooting in Mehboob Studios, I used to ask him ‘aayega?’, he used to come and meet everyone on set! He was perfectly okay, the problem started after the kidney transplant. He was in Kolkata too for some time,” David recalled.

David Dhawan revealed that Satish Shah had chosen to step away from work in recent years. “He had stopped working also some time back, he said ‘bahot kaam kar liya ab araam karna hai.’ I said ‘meri film main shuru karunga, terko lena hai usme.’ He had replied ‘haan teri wali kar lunga,’” the filmmaker shared.

Also Read: Satish Shah had developed an infection after a kidney transplant, reveals JD Majethia

He also remembered his late friend’s many talents beyond acting, “Bahot rhythm thi Satish mein. He would obviously sing very well. Bahot qualities thi usme. Kamaal ka tha. Kya bolun... Satish.”

Satish Shah was last seen on screen in Humshakals in 2014. Throughout his career, he won several accolades including three Indian Television Academy Awards for Sarabhai vs Sarabhai alone.

According to reports, Satish Shah was rushed to Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai, where he breathed his last. The family is expected to release details about the cremation later today.