Veteran actor V.M. Badola passed away yesterday (23rd November) in Bombay due to age-related illness. He was 85. Actors Varun Badola and Alka Kaushal and radio jockey Kalindi are his children.
Varun Mohan Badola had acted in scores of films. His personality was such that he endeared himself to the audience in film after film. Among the films he worked in were Munna Bhai M.B.B.S., Jodhaa Akbar, Jolly LL.B 2, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, Swades and Missing. On television, he is known for his role as Daddu in his last show, Nisha Aur Uske Cousin. He also did a lot of theatre. In fact, he started as a theatre actor. Before becoming an actor, he was a journalist.
Varun Badola penned a beautiful piece on Instagram about his dad. He wrote: “A lot of people crib about the fact that their kids do not listen to them. Many forget that kids are always watching them. My father never sat me down to teach me anything. He made teaching a way of life for me. He set an example so exemplary that I had no choice but… follow. If you think that I am a good actor, blame him. If I write, he has to take the onus. If I sing… well, if I had just about 1/10th of his singing talent, I would have become a singer. I left Delhi and came to Mumbai because his name was too big in that city to counter. I protested that people judge me, they unduly favour me because I am your son. He promptly told me to go and find my own identity some place else if I thought his name was a hinderance. He told me to always operate out of my comfort zone. He made me a MAN. Not many know that he was a journalist by profession. A master on South East Asian affairs. Travelled the world twice over. He did more than 400 plays for AIR. He was an actor par excellence. When he sang, time stopped. Make no mistake, THIS MAN WAS A LEGEND. But for me, he was my father. A father who was always watching and always listening. So, ladies and gentlemen, The Man, The Legend, The Phenomenon has called it a day. But his legacy will stay on forever in various forms. Mr. Vishwa Mohan Badola 1936 – 2020.”