My last text to him was I will make him proud, says Smriti

From his ‘infectious energy’ to his ‘passion’ for the craft, actor Smriti Kalra says there was a lot to learn from late actorfilmmaker Satish Kaushik

Actor Smriti Kalra, who was directed by Satish Kaushik in few sequences of the upcoming film Kaagaz 2, recalls texting the late actor-filmmaker just two days before he died on Thursday: “My last text to him was, ‘I will always make you proud’.”

Kalra feels “fortunate” to have worked with Kaushik, who, she says, was a “school in himself”. “Unka cheezon ko dekhne ka nazariya was very different from others. He used to tell me, ‘Heroine ko heroine ki tarah present karna chahiye’, and when you see the way he shot the film, you will understand what I am saying,” says

Kalra, who made her film debut with the web project Cash (2021).

Kaushik’s “infectious energy”, she adds, “really rubbed off on you”. “He had a childlike enthusiasm and was very passionate about work, even at this age (66), even after spending so many years in the industry. The way he used to say ‘action’ before every take would fill up everyone with the same excitement to work throughout the day,” says the Dil Sambhal Jaa Zara actor, as she recalls how Kaushik had huge plans for the film: “He used to tell me, ‘Hum aisa karenge, waisa karenge’.”

Still in a “state of shock” at his death, Kalra shares that the impact Kaushik left on her is indelible. “Talking about him in the past tense is difficult. I didn’t think I’d be this affected by his demise. All of us have many friends in life, but there are very few who encourage you at every step. Satish sir would always tell me ki sab 100% efforts dete hain, par tum 150% deti ho. The confidence he had in me gave me the assurance that I am on the right track.”

Satish Kaushik and Smriti Kalra