Farooq Shaikh

Farooq Shaikh (25 March 1948 − 28 December 2013) was an Indian actor, philanthropist and television presenter. He was best known for his work in Hindi films from 1973 to 1993 and for his work in television between 1988 and 2002. He returned to acting in films in 2008 and continued to do so until his death on 28 December 2013. His major contribution was in Parallel Cinema or the New Indian Cinema. He worked with directors like Satyajit Ray, Sai Paranjpye, Muzaffar Ali, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Ketan Mehta.

He acted in serials and shows on television and performed on stage in productions such as ''Tumhari Amrita, directed by Feroz Abbas Khan, and presented the TV show, ''Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai'' (Season 1). He won the 2010 National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for ''Lahore''.

Personal life

Shaikh was born in 1948 at Amroli, a village 90 km off Vadodara, Gujarat, India to Farida and Mustafa Shaikh. His father was a lawyer who worked in Bombay and whose family came from Hansot in the Bharuch district of Gujarat. Shaikh's family were landowners, and he grew up in luxurious surroundings in Nagpada, Bombay. He was the eldest of five children.

Shaikh attended St. Mary's School in Bombay and then graduated from St. Xavier's College in the city before studying law at Siddharth College of Law, following his father into the profession. He did not, however, undertake a legal career, instead choosing theatre, having acted in college.

At St Xavier's Shaikh met Roopa, his future wife. Both were active in theatre and were later married after nine years; the couple have two daughters Sanaa and Shaista. His time at St. Xavier's was important for both personal and professional reasons and he made many friends there, including Sunil Gavaskar, who was a contemporary. Actor Shabana Azmi, then known mainly as the daughter of noted poet Kaifi Azmi, was Roopa's classmate at St Xavier's.

Career

In his early days, he was active in theatre, doing plays with IPTA and with well-known directors like Sagar Sarhadi. In 1973, while Shaikh was in his final year of law school, ''MS Sathyu'' approached him for his directorial debut ''Garam Hawa''. His first major film role was in the 1973 film ''Garam Hawa'', where Farooque had a supporting role and the leading man was Balraj Sahni. The film is credited for being a pioneer of a new wave of Hindi Art cinema. His salary for his debut film was only Rs. 750. He first gained recognition as a quiz master on radio, but it was his participation as an anchor on Bombay Doordarshan shows such as Yuvadarshan and Young World that made him a household name. Shaikh in ''Gaman'' (1978) acted as the migrant Bombay taxi driver from Badaun in Uttar Pradesh hoping to return to meet his wife, but never saves up enough to return home. He went on to act in several notable films such as Satyajit Ray's '' Shatranj Ke Khiladi'' (Chess Players) (1977), '' Noorie'' (1979), '' Chashme Buddoor'' (1981), '' Umrao Jaan'' (1981), ''Bazaar'' (1982), '' Saath Saath'' (1982), '' Rang Birangi'' (1983), '' Kissi Se Na Kehna'' (1983), ''Ek Baar Chale Aao'' (1983), '' Katha'' (1983), ''Ab Ayega Mazaa'' (1984), '' Salma'' (1985), ''Faasle'' (1985), ''Peechha Karo'' (1986), '' Biwi Ho To Aisi'' (1988), and ''Maya Memsaab'' (1993). He formed a successful pair with Deepti Naval. He also did a slightly negative role in '' Katha''.

He was paired opposite Shabana Azmi in Sagar Sarhadi's ''Lorie'', Kalpana Lajmi's ''Ek Pal'' and Muzaffar Ali's '' Anjuman'' (1986) and then in the play ''Tumhari Amrita''. His chemistry with Deepti Naval led to them being cast opposite each other in nine films, namely ''Chashme Buddoor'', ''Katha'', ''Saath Saath'', ''Kissi Se Na Kehna'', ''Rang Birangi'', ''Ek Baar Chale Aao'', ''Tell Me Oh Khuda'', ''Faasle'' and ''Listen... Amaya''. They also appeared as the lead pair in an episode on Hasrat Mohani in the TV serial ''Kahkashan''.

In 2002, in an interview with The Times of India, Shaikh said, "I have never been commercially viable. People recognise me, smile and wave at me — but I have never received marriage proposals written in blood. In his heyday in 70s and 80s, when Rajesh Khanna drove down a street, the traffic stopped — I don't mind not receiving this kind of adulation. But I do miss not having been able to command the kind of work I wanted which Khanna could always do. I miss not being 100 per cent commercially viable like him."

In the 1990s, he acted in fewer films. But resurfaced in notable roles in the 2000s. He appeared in ''Saas Bahu Aur Sensex'' (2008) and ''Lahore'' (2009), for which he won the 2010 National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor. He appeared as Bunny (Ranbir Kapoor)'s father in '' Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani'' (2013). His last film as the leading man was ''Club 60'' (2013) which was also his last release before his death. Realbollywood.com said about his performance in the film: "As a grieving father who won't allow his loss to be forgotten, he hits all the right notes treading that thin line between melancholy and maudlin with majestic grace." He also appeared in ''Youngistaan'' and '' Children of War'', both of which released in 2014, after his demise.

In the 80s-90s, Farooque Shaikh appeared in several television serials. He played the title role in an episode dedicated to the poet and freedom fighter Hasrat Mohani in the TV series ''Kahkashan'' (1988) with Deepti Naval playing his wife. He also worked in the famous TV serial '' Shrikant'' which aired on Doordarshan from 1987 to 1991. This show was an adaptation of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel. This was followed by ''Aahaa'' on Zee. ''Chamatkar'' on Sony and '' Ji Mantriji'' (an adaptation of ''Yes, Minister''),on Star Plus were other notable successes. Shaikh also had a cameo in Life OK's ''Do Dil Ek Jaan'', where he was seen as the leading lady's father in the initial episodes.

Earlier in the 70s he compered the Binny Double or Quits Quiz contest, which was telecast over Vividh Bharati.
His career on stage that began as a student at St. Xavier's College in the late 1960s reached its peak in the famous play ''Tumhari Amrita

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