Veteran actor Asrani passed away on 20th October around 4 p.m. in Bombay due to age-related illnesses. He was 84. He was cremated the same day at the Santacruz crematorium in Bombay. The news of his demise was withheld by his family members till his last rites were performed, as per Asrani’s wish. The actor never wanted anyone to attend his funeral.
Govardhan Asrani, who went by the screen name of just Asrani, was an actor par excellence. But he was also a wonderful human being. Asrani was known for his perfect comic timing and used to excel in facial contortions. He was seen as the hero’s friend, PA, secretary, confidant or in character roles in a number of films in the 1970s and 1980s. It was his sheer versatility which saw him bag roles in films made after that too right till the end came.
He was trained at the Film and Television Institute of India and went on to become an actor who left an indelible mark on many characters he played during his long and chequered career. He had acted in more than 400 films. It was not rare to see Asrani make small characters memorable by the sheer brilliance of his performance. Although there are a number of roles in which he shone, his most popular performance is that of the bumbling jailor, a parody of Adolf Hitler and misplaced sense of power, in Sholay. Asrani’s accented Hindi in that role is remembered and aped by millions of fans even 50 years after it first cracked up the audience. Among his memorable roles are those in Guddi, Abhiman, Namak Haram, Bawarchi, Satyakam, Piya Ka Ghar, Mere Apne, Parichay, Koshish, Chupke Chupke, Baghban, Hulchul, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Dream Girl 2, and many others. He also directed himself in Chala Murari Hero Ban Ne. Besides this, he also directed Hum Nahi Sudhrenge, Dil Hi To Hai and Udaan. At the time of his death, Asrani was acting in Priyadarshan’s Bhoot Bangla.
Although he was a Sindhi, Asrani worked in a number of Gujarati films like Amdavad No Rikshawalo, Saat Qaidi, Sansar Chakra etc.
