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Veteran actor Govardhan Asrani, best remembered for his hilarious turn as the eccentric jailer in Sholay, passed away on Monday, October 20, at the age of 84 after a prolonged illness. His last rites were performed at the Santacruz Crematorium in Mumbai, where family and close friends gathered to bid him farewell. Over a career spanning more than five decades, Asrani became one of Indian cinema’s most recognisable faces, appearing in over 350 films. Known for his impeccable comic timing and expressive style, he moved between humour and drama. But before fame, there was struggle — a long one that almost made him give up acting altogether. Trained at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Asrani once revealed in an interview with Bollywood Thikana that his certificate meant little when he first arrived in Mumbai. “I would roam around with my certificate, and they would shoo me away and say, ‘You think acting requires certificates? Big stars don’t have training here, and you think you’re special? Get lost,’” he recalled. After months of rejection, a young Asrani returned to Jaipur, where his parents urged him to join the family’s carpet business. But acting remained his only dream. He applied to FTII again and became part of its first-ever batch, determined to make it in films. Still, the struggle continued for two years after graduation — until Indira Gandhi, then the Information and Broadcasting Minister, stepped in. “One day, Indira Gandhi came to Pune. She was the I&B minister at the time. And we complained to her. We told her that despite having a certificate, nobody gives us the time of day. Then she came to Mumbai and told producers that they should hire us. After that, work started coming in. Jaya Bhaduri was cast in Guddi, as was I. When Guddi became a hit, people started taking FTII seriously,” Asrani shared. That film changed everything. Work began to flow in, and Asrani went on to become a fixture in Hindi cinema through the ’70s and ’80s, starring in hits like Chupke Chupke, Aaj Ki Taaza Khabar, Roti, and Aaj Ka M.L.A. Ram Avtar. But it was his unforgettable role in Sholay that immortalised him in the hearts of audiences across generations. Asrani is survived by his wife Manju Asrani, his sister, and nephew. The couple had no children. His passing marks the end of an era—a true entertainer whose laughter, warmth, and spirit will live on through the films he left behind.
