'Satish Shah was having lunch and suddenly collapsed after having...", late actor's manager reveals final moments of Sarabhai star

Veteran actor Satish Shah’s sudden death on October 25 has left the entertainment industry reeling. A day later, his manager and neighbour recounted their desperate attempt to revive him after he collapsed at home during lunch. The beloved Sarabhai vs Sarabhai actor, known for his wit and warmth, was 74. His last rites were held at Pawan Hans crematorium in Vile Parle on Sunday, October 26, attended by several of his industry colleagues and friends.

Satish Shah’s long-time manager, Ramesh Kadatala, revealed the heartbreaking sequence of events leading up to the actor’s passing. Speaking to ANI, he said, “It was around lunchtime, around 2 pm. He was eating lunch and collapsed after having one bite. The ambulance arrived after half an hour, and we took him to the hospital, and he was declared dead.”
According to Kadatala, Shah was in good spirits that morning and had even made a few calls regarding his upcoming engagements. The sudden collapse caught everyone off guard. He added that the veteran actor had no known severe health issues at the time.

The neighbour’s account

Neighbour Anup Kothekar, who rushed to Shah’s home upon receiving a call from Kadatala, described the scene with deep emotion. “I was with them. As soon as I got a call from Ramesh ji, I ran to Satish Kaka’s house and immediately tried to help him. We kept trying to revive him. He was such a wonderful person; he was already a wonderful performer. Whoever was called in to help him, everyone left their work and rushed away to help Satish Kaka. I feel that this was his strength—that everyone came straight away for him,” Kothekar said.

Kothekar added that the entire building was in shock. “No one could believe what was happening. Just a few hours ago, he was laughing and talking to people. It felt unreal.”