Legendary comedian and actor Asrani has died. He died at the age of 84 after prolonged illness.
News agency ANI tweeted, “Actor-director Govardhan Asrani, popularly known as ‘Asrani’ passed away in Mumbai today after a prolonged illness. His last rites were performed at Santacruz Crematorium.”
Asrani’s manager, Babubhai Thiba, told ANI – “Asrani passed away today at 3 PM at Arogya Nidhi Hospital, Juhu. He is survived by his wife, sister, and nephew.”
They also shared pictures from the Crematorium where his family gathered for the last rites.
Asrani, one of Indian cinema’s most beloved comic actors, entertained audiences for over five decades.
A graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India, he began his career in the 1960s and quickly became a fixture in Hindi films. Best known for his hilarious portrayal of the eccentric jailor in Sholay, Asrani’s versatility allowed him to shine in both comedic and serious roles across hundreds of films.
His collaborations with directors like Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Raj Kapoor cemented his reputation as a dependable character actor with an enduring charm and wit.
In 2016, he spoke to HT about how comedy has become vulgar over the years.
“Earlier we had two types of schools of comedy – Bimal Roy school (which was realistic) and Madras school (which was subtle). Bimal Roy never kept comedy out of the story line. Madras comedy was another track but never vulgar. Now, it has come down to terrible stuff. Ab to behad vulgar ho gya hai, bas kapde utarne ki deri hai,” said Asrani.
Asrani’s last Bollywood film Mastizaade was an adult comedy, where he played actor Sunny Leone’s father. “Mujhe mastizaade main kaam karna pada, mujhe sharam aayi (I had to work in Mastizaade, I felt embarrassed),” says Asrani.