Acclaimed actor Ravi Baswani, best known for his roles as photographer Sudhir Mishra in the cult film Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron and the carefree Lakhan in Chashme Badoor, passed away in Shimla on Tuesday afternoon, following a heart attack.
He had gone to Shimla from Mumbai to scout shooting locations for his directorial debut film. Baswani, described by his colleagues as a kind and encouraging person, was also known for his caustic sense of humour.
In an interview to Man's World magazine a few years ago, he had said, "Had I died soon after Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron had released, I would have become a legend, like James Dean."
Filmmaker Kundan Shah, who directed Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, remembers Baswani as a fantastic actor who had a great career ahead of him but "couldn't adjust to the industry".
"Ravi, Naseer (Naseeruddin Shah) and I were very close. When we were working on developing a script for a Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron 2, it gave us the perfect excuse to relive the old times," said Shah.
"He had a brilliant sense of comic timing. Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron wouldn't have been the same without him, " added Shah.
{{/usCountry}}"He had a brilliant sense of comic timing. Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron wouldn't have been the same without him, " added Shah.
{{/usCountry}}Baswani was also extremely mischievous and talented, according to filmmaker Sudhir Mishra.
"Me, Ravi, David Dhawan and Aloknath lived in the same building after I moved to Mumbai in the 1980s and I have great memories with Ravi of my time spent there. I feel like I have lost a part of myself with Ravi passing away," said Mishra.
"He was a very kind and encouraging person. I remember him giving my film Hazaaron Khwaishe Aisi a standing ovation after he saw it," said Mishra.