Satish Kaushik and his iconic roles: From Calendar in ‘Mr India’ to Pappu Pager in ‘Deewana Mastana’

Satish Kaushik as Chanda Mama in Mr and Mrs Khiladi with Akshay Kumar (Image: @akshaykumar/Twitter))

Veteran actor Satish Kaushik died on March 8 after a heart attack. He was 66. The prominent actor and director was a part of the Indian film industry for several decades and has made a significant contribution to Hindi movies. Kaushik was in Gurugram at a friend’s house when he started feeling unwell and was taken to a hospital where he passed away.

Kaushik started his career as an assistant director to Shekhar Kapur in the movie 'Masoom' (1983) and went on to act in numerous films, including 'Mr. India' (1987), 'Ram Lakhan' (1989), and 'Saajan Chale Sasural' (1996).

In addition to acting, Satish Kaushik has also directed several critically acclaimed films over the years.

As people pay their respects to the actor, here’s a look at five memorable roles and films of Satish Kaushik:

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983)
'Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro' is a dark comedy film directed by Kundan Shah. Satish Kaushik played the role of a corrupt builder’s assistant in the movie. This was his debut film as an actor. He also wrote the dialogues for the movie. The film is a satire on the rampant corruption in Indian society.

Mr. India (1987)
In this iconic film directed by Shekhar Kapur, Satish Kaushik played the role of Calendar, a lovable cook who provides some of the movie's most memorable comedic moments. His performance in this film helped establish him as a versatile character actor. "Calendar khana do" became an iconic line.

Read: Satish Kaushik’s last post before death: He attended Javed Akhtar’s Holi party, shared pics

Ram Lakhan (1989)
In this high-energy action-comedy directed by Subhash Ghai, Satish Kaushik played the role of Kashiram alongside Anupam Kher as Devdhar. Kher posted a tribute to his long-time friend and NSD batch mate after his demise.

Deewana Mastana (1997)
Satish Kaushik played the iconic role contract killer Pappu Pager in Deewana Mastana. Directed by David Dhawan, the film stars Govinda, Anil Kapoor, and Juhi Chawla in lead roles but Kaushik’s comic turn as a goon was a riot and “Pappu Pager’s” character has found stardom.

Tere Naam (2003)
'Tere Naam' is a romantic drama film directed by Satish Kaushik. The movie stars Salman Khan and Bhumika Chawla in lead roles and explores the themes of love, sacrifice, and redemption. The movie was a hit and Khan’s performance received acclaim.

Special mention: Chanda mama in "Mr and Mrs Khiladi", Tayaji in "Udta Punjab", and Manu Mundra in "Scam 1992".