At the age of 66, actor Satish Kaushik suffered a "massive" heart attack on March 9, as he was driving to a friend's house in Delhi. Reportedly, he felt uneasy at night and called his manager complaining of breathlessness. He asked his driver to take him to the hospital but on the way, at around 1am, he suffered a heart attack.
In 2021, when the world was grappling with the Omicron wave of Covid-19, Satish Kaushik had returned to filmmaking after a five year hiatus. He directed Kaagaz, a film close to his heart and one that he so wanted to see materialising on celluloid. Pankaj Tripathi helmed it and delivered a smashing, electrifying performance, thereby taking the film to another level.
In a way, the film's narrative, inspired by the real life story of Lal Bihari Mritak, a kind hearted, loveable band player from a small village in Uttar Pradesh, mirrored Kaushik's own way of life in many ways. The latter, like his film's protagonist, believed in living the 'slow life' long before the term became fashionable. He found contentment in living a simple life and sought immense satisfaction from his work which came from pushing the envelope and investing great enthusiasm and energy into everything he did. I saw him once, up close at a promotional event in suburban Mumbai about six to seven years back. Suited in a crisp grey suit minus the blazer and a matching beret cap to go along, Kaushik, with his ever-happy demeanour and a wide grin that frequently lit up his face, looked every bit like the proverbial 'laughing buddha,' a short, pot-bellied, chubby fellow who became a symbol for happiness, prosperity and contentment, with his hearty laughter.
I could not meet him back then but then got a chance to see him again a year back ahead of the release of his film Thar, in which he shared screen space with Anil Kapoor and his son, Harrshvarrdhan Kapoor. By then, Kaushik had dabbled in multiple roles, that of an actor, producer, comedian and screenwriter. That day, a shy and reticent yet ever-smiling Kaushik dressed in denims, a black Tee and blazer posed for the paps in front of what was presumably Kapoor's vanity van. It was an emotional moment for him, he said back then, to be working with Kapoor again after their last film together many decades before - Mr India achieved cult status and Kaushik's own character as the butler Calendar became etched in public memory forever.
On the stage that day, as the two took their places, the contrast, and yet, the similarities between the two men were evident. Both are exactly the same age, their journeys started off in the industry 40 years back. Both are well known by their names and not just faces and both light up the big screen with their effervescent presence and delectable performances.
In fact, it was Anil Kapoor who first saw Kaushik at a play in Mumbai's Prithvi theatre and suggested his brother Boney Kapoor to cast him in Anil Kapoor's very first film in Bollywood, Woh Saat Din.'Kaushik played a bit-sized part in it, that of a flower seller and upon Anil's insistence was handed over Rs 501 instead of Rs 201 which the elder Kapoor had initially decided to pay Kaushik. "We are both passionate about films, we love being on the sets and being a part of the director's vision, More than anything else, we both love laughing and making fun of ourselves. We indulge big time in self-deprecating humour," said Anil Kapoor when asked about his equation with Kaushik, a passout of National School of Drama.
"Known to be a man of "ethics that are carved in stone," Kaushik, a student of theatre, that is, not someone from within Bollywood, soon became at ease with big industry Khandaans and renowned filmmakers, given his dexterous acting prowess and the ability to shine in diverse roles by displaying a broad range of emotions and depth of character," says Kalpana Swamy, a Bollywood buff and founder of Nostalgianaa Jukebox, a Bollywood centric music club.
Kaushik had such depth in his delivery as an actor, that he could pull off a small role in television with equal elan as he could perform in a big budget Bollywood film. So polished and agile was his proficiency at enacting out a range of emotions that even in a despicable, negative character in Nagesh Kukonoor's 2014 film Lakshmi, Kaushik stood out. The film was based on a true-story of the first convicted case of child prostitution in Andhra Pradesh. It brought to light the valiant effort that Lakshmi, a 13 year old, puts forth into dragging her perpetrators to the court. She is singled out by Reddy Garu played by Kaushik, a rich, powerful influential man in a small village to be taken home. His restrained villainy makes him convincingly hateable. The role was also diametrically opposite to what Kaushik had been known for, that is comedy, humour and revelry. it was as if he wanted to challenge himself with a character like that and he had successfully done it. "As a director and a screenwriter too, Kaushik was most often a man of his own mind," says Swamy.
As a comedian he became the face of slapstick comedy of the 90s era. Kaushik also had an astute sense of business in cinema. And that he proved with each and every film he directed, right from Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja in the 90s to Tere Naam in early 2000s to Kaagaz off late. And he's been one of those few comedians who have actually taken the initiative and have been able to show their more thoughtful and serious side to the world by etching out a name for themselves that goes beyond comedy. Who can forget his role of the foul-mouthed financier Manu Mundra in Scam 1992? "I remember attending his talk on a certain forum dedicated to the Business of cinema and it was an eye-opener to see him speak so coherently and lucidly on various aspects of filmmaking," adds Swamy.