Satish Kaushik: Kundan Shah savoured the success of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron when it re-released

Actor Satish Kaushik, who wrote the dialogues of the 1983 classic Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, apart from acting, talks about losing a great friend in Kundan Shah, who had directed the film.

Actor Satish Kaushik, who has been in the Hindi film industry for almost three decades now, and has been a part of several big films - right from Ram Lakhan to Haseena Maan Jaayegi to Dishoom, still prefers to call the Kundan Shah-directed, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983), among his best work. Kundan passed away on October 7 due to a cardiac arrest.

Actor Satish Kaushik with Naseeruddin Shah in a still from the film.

Satish, who had played the role of Ashok Namboodirippad recalls the time they spent together during the conceptualisation of the film. “I was an integral part of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, writing the dialogues, along with Ranjit Kapoor. We wrote the script in Kundan’s house, so we were very attached to his family, especially his little daughters at that time. He was a very healthy, content person, but he died in his sleep due to a cardiac arrest—I was taken aback by this. He was loved by all for his simplicity and talent as a writer and director.”

He also feels that superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s acting abilities were brought to the notice of everyone through Kundan’s film Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa. “He was the one who brought Shah Rukh Khan on-screen after Fauji (TV series that aired in 1989). I was lucky to work with him. A digitally restored print of the film was released some time ago (in 2012), we all had come together, and it was then he was really feeling the success of this film. I am very sad to hear that he is no more.”