Celebs remember Anupam Shyam, call his zest and dedication ‘admirable’ 1957-2021
V
eteran actor Anupam Shyam passed away yesterday at the age of 63, due to multiple organ failure. He was being treated for a kidney infection and for the last six days was on a ventilator. His friend, actor Yashpal Sharma, and brother Anurag were at the hospital.
The actor, popular for his performance as Thakur Sajjan Singh in the TV show Mann Kee Awaaz: Pratigya (MKAP), had also appeared in many films including Bandit Queen (1994), Satya (1998), Lagaan (2000), Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2005) and Slumdog Millionaire (2008).
A thorough professional, he would shoot despite undergoing dialysis on a regular basis. As soon as the news broke, love and condolences began pouring in for Shyam from friends and co-actors such as Manoj Bajpayee, Manoj Joshi and Malini Awasthi, among others.
His last co-star, Pooja Gor, who was 18 when she debuted in MKAP in 2009, recalls how encouraging Shyam was towards a newbie like her. She says, “During season one, I was really young, had just begun acting and was trying to do my best. But when he saw me perform and thought he could help, he did. He brought Hindi books and I would read a page daily. His zest for life and dedication towards his profession was admirable.”
His co-star from Lagaan and neighbourhood pal, Sharma, says that he admired his talent and had seen many of his plays in Delhi: “Lagaan was our first work association and thereafter, we did two films. Of late, he was struggling to maintain sugar levels and had to take insulin injections. Yet, he would never let it show.”
In a statement, producer Rajan Shahi shared that he
Despite his ailment and suffering, he was so very enthusiastic to shoot. Now, his suffering has ended.
POOJA GOR, Actor
was “deeply saddened” to hear about Shyam’s sad demise and prayed for his “family to get all the strength to sail through difficult times”. “He was always so lively and full of enthusiasm and will be remembered for his remarkable performances. May his soul RIP,” he wrote.
As he lived close to my house, we would meet often. He was a bindaas and fakeer kind of a person who loved to laugh and share stories from his past.
YASHPAL SHARMA, Actor