Veteran Bollywood actor-comedian Jagdeep passes away at 81
Born on March 29, 1939 as Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed Jafri in Amritsar, Jagdeep acted in over 400 films. He is best known for his role of Soorma Bhopali in Ramesh Sippy’s blockbuster ‘Sholay’ (1975)
Veteran Bollywood comedian Jagdeep is no more. He passed away in Mumbai on Wednesday owing to age-related health problems at the age of 81. Bollywood star Ajay Devgn confirmed the news on social media. “Heard the sad news of Jagdeep Saab’s demise. Always enjoyed watching him on screen. He brought so much joy to the audience. My deepest condolences to Jaaved and all members of the family. Prayers for Jagdeep Saab’s soul,” tweeted @ajaydevgn with an emoji of folded hands.
The late actor’s sons Jaaved Jaaferi and Naved Jafri have also made their mark in the entertainment industry. Jaaved is a noted actor and dancer, and along with Naved, he hosted the long-running and popular dance show, “Boogie Woogie.” The show was created and directed by Naved. Born on March 29, 1939 as Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed Jafri in Amritsar, Jagdeep acted in over 400 films. He is best known for his role of Soorma Bhopali in Ramesh Sippy’s blockbuster “Sholay” (1975). New-generation Bollywood buffs would recall him as Salman Khan’s father in Rajkumar Santoshi’s “Andaaz Apna Apna” (1994).
Jagdeep started his career as a child artiste in BR Chopra’s 1951 release, “Afsana,” starring Ashok Kumar, Veena and Pran. As a child artiste he also worked in the Raj Kapoor-produced “Ab Dilli Door Nahin,” KA Abbas’s “Munna,” Guru Dut’s “Aar Paar,” Bimal Roy’s “Do Bigha Zamin” and the Avm-produced “Hum Panchi Ek Dal Ke.” Later, he would make a mark with roles in films such as “Bhabhi” (1957) and “Barkha” (1959). Jagdeep’s golden patch would begin with GP Sippy’s 1968 film “Brahmachari,” starring Shammi Kapoor. His comic role in the film was widely appreciated. Through the seventies, eighties and the nineties, he became a familiar face in Hindi films, essaying the goofy funnyman in film ater film. His last-released film is “Masti Nahi Sasti” in 2017.
The Ali Abbas Chaudhary-directed comedy also featured Kader Khan, Shakti Kapoor, Johnny Lever and Prem Chopra.
Meanwhile, Amitabh Bachchan took to his blog on Thursday to mourn the demise of veteran comedian Jagdeep. Big B and Jagdeep were co-stars in films like “Sholay” (1975) and “Shahenshah” (1988). Jagdeep played the iconic character of Soorma Bhopali in Ramesh Sippy’s blockbuster movie “Sholay” starring Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Amjad Khan and Sanjeev Kumar in key roles.
Filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi cast veteran Bollywood comedian Jagdeep in five of his films, including “Andaz Apna Apna”. He says he really liked Jagdeep as an artiste, and the late actor was no less than a family member. “I was always a huge fan of Jagdeep ji. He had worked in my father’s (PL Santoshi) film “Hum Panchhi Ek Daal Ke”. It had won a National Film Award. We were like a family because of his bond with my father. He used to call dad “Guruji”. When I made my first film (“Ghayal”) as a director, he played a part in it. But his track had to be removed because of the film’s length. Then I cast him in “Andaz Apna Apna”.”