Saeed Jaffrey, Indian actor and Bollywood veteran, dies
Jaffrey and wife Jennifer
Actor Saeed Jaffrey, a veteran of dozens of Bollywood and international films, has died at the age of 86.
Tributes have poured in since Jaffrey suffered a brain haemorrhage in London.
Jaffrey
starred in such acclaimed Indian films as Satyajit Ray's Shatranj ke
Khiladi (The Chess Players) and more than 100 Bollywood productions.
He
also appeared in A Passage To India, Gandhi and The Man Who Would Be
King, and earned a Bafta nomination for his role in 1985's My Beautiful
Laundrette.
The news of his death was announced on Sunday by his niece Shaheen Aggarwal on Facebook.
She
wrote: "Today, a generation of Jaffreys has passed away. Saeed Jaffrey
has joined his brothers and sister and is rejoicing in the lap of his
Heavenly Father, eternally."
The actor collapsed at his London
home from a brain haemorrhage and never regained consciousness,
according to a statement from Jaffrey Associates. Image copyrightEverett/Rex ShutterstockImage caption
Jaffrey appeared with Sean Connery and Michael Caine in The Man Who Would Be King
Born in Punjab in India in 1929, Jaffrey began his
career as a theatre actor and was the first Indian to tour Shakespeare
across the United States and to star in a major Broadway role, according
to Jaffrey Associates.
He
became a household name in the UK after appearing in numerous TV dramas
including Tandoori Nights, The Far Pavilions and Gangsters.
His
best-known roles included the Nawab of Mirat in the landmark 1980s
series The Jewel In The Crown and Ravi Desai in the soap opera
Coronation Street.
On the big screen, he starred opposite Michael
Caine and Sean Connery in 1975's The Man Who Would Be King and played
Patel in Sir Richard Attenborough's Oscar-winning Gandhi in 1982.
Sir
David Lean cast him as Hamidullah in 1984 epic A Passage to India, and
Jaffrey was nominated for the best supporting actor Bafta for playing
the laundrette-owning Nasser in My Beautiful Laundrette, which starred
Daniel Day-Lewis. Image copyrightITV/Rex ShutrterstockImage caption
Jaffrey played Ravi Desai in TV soap Coronation Street
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption
The actor is survived by his wife Jennifer
Jaffrey also wrote and starred in dozens of radio
plays, winning the Prix Italia for his appearance alongside Sir Michael
Redgrave in BBC Radio Four's The Pump.
He was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1995 for his contributions to drama.
The actor was married to actress-author Madhur Jaffrey with whom he had three children. They divorced in 1966.
As the news of his death spread on Monday, many took to Twitter to mourn:
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
wrote: "Saeed Jaffrey was a multifaceted actor whose flair and
versatility will always be remembered. Deepest condolences on his
passing away."
Adil Ray,
who writes and stars in BBC sitcom Citizen Khan, wrote on Twitter: "So
sad to hear about the passing of actor Saeed Jaffrey. A tour de force
and paved the way for so many."
Rajyavardhan Rathore,
India's minister of State for information and broadcasting, wrote:
"Condolences on passing away of screen legend #SaeedJaffrey. His range
and acting depth will be remembered for long."
Actress Kathy Burke said: "Had the pleasure of working with Saeed in the last century. RIP lovely man."
Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon,
who starred alongside Jaffrey in Hindi-language films including Deewana
Mastana (1997) and Aunty No. 1 (1998), wrote: "sad news of the passing
away of senior actor Saeed Jaffrey...did films where he played my dad,
warm, witty, jovial, Sir u will be missed RIP". She added: "A brilliant
actor.. A unique style.. Mischievous twinkling eyes."
Shivraj Singh Chouhan,
chief minister of Madhya Pradesh state, tweeted: "Sad demise of
versatile actor Saeed Jaffrey is a big loss to film industry. For
decades, he enthralled us with his class apart acting. #RIP"
He is survived by his wife Jennifer. His funeral is expected to take place in London two weeks' time.
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