Jaffrey acted in more than 100 Bollywood films.
By Sreekanth  A Nair
(Courtesy of shaheen Aggarwal’s Facebook page)
Saeed Jaffrey, the veteran Indian actor who made a mark in both Hollywood and Bollywood films, has passed away at the age of 86, ending a charismatic professional life that spanned over five decades.
The demise of the actor was made public by his niece Shaheen Aggarwal, who wrote on his Facebook wall: “Today, a generation ofJaffreys has passed away. Saeed Jaffrey has joined his brothers and sister and is rejoicing in the lap of his Heavenly Father, eternally.â€
Jaffrey died from a brain haemorrhage, in London.
Jaffrey married co-actress and travel writer Mehrunima, but their relationship broke in 1965. They have three daughters Meera, Zia and Sakina.
The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, tweeted about Saeed Jaffrey: “Saeed Jaffrey was a multifaceted actor whose flair & versatility will always be remembered. Deepest condolences on his passing away: PMâ€
Jaffrey, who started his career in All India Radio, served as the Radio Director during 1951–1956. He also became the Director of Publicity and Advertising under the Government of India Tourist Office, US, during 1958–1960 before he became active in the movie industry.
He became a Fulbright-Hays Program scholar in America and he pursued drama in The Catholic University of America. He is also recognized as the first Indian actor to take Shakespearean drama to the US.
He has acted in over 100 Bollywood films, including “Shatranj Ke Khiladi†directed by Honorary Oscar Award winner Satyajit Ray. He had acknowledged Ray for bringing him back to Indian cinema.
His other Bollywood films include “Chashme Buddoorâ€, “Masoomâ€, “Kissi Se Na Kehnaâ€, “Mandiâ€, “Mashaal†“Ram Teri Ganga Mailiâ€, “Ram Lakhanâ€, “Ajooba†and “Hennaâ€.
His Hollywood stint, with top directors and actors like Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Roshan Seth, James Ivory and Daniel Day-Lewis, further extended his fame. He also played a very important character in Richard Attenborough’s Oscar-winning film ‘Gandhi’.
Jaffrey’s other notable international films are: “The Man Who Would Be Kingâ€, “Death on the Nileâ€, “Sphinxâ€, “The Jewel in the Crownâ€, “A Passage to Indiaâ€, “My Beautiful Laundretteâ€, “The Deceiversâ€, “After Midnightâ€, “On Wings of Fire†and “Chicken Tikka Masalaâ€.
He also got a BAFTA nomination for “My Beautiful Laundretteâ€. He is also the first Indian to receive the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his contributions to drama. Jaffrey is survived by his wife Jennifer Jaffrey, whom he married in 1980.
Twitter reactions:
- Adil Ray: “So sad to hear about the passing of actor Saeed Jaffrey. A tour de force and paved the way for so many.”
- RajyavardhanRathore: “Condolences on passing away of screen legend #SaeedJaffrey. His range and acting depth will be remembered for long.”
- Actress Kathy Burke: “Had the pleasure of working with Saeed in the last century. RIP lovely man.”
- the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan:”Sad demise of versatile actor Saeed Jaffrey is a big loss to thefilmindustry. For decades, he enthralled us with his class apart acting. #RIP”