Ratna Pathak Shah recalls the only time she saw a ‘cheerful’ Satish Shah shattered: ‘He never allowed himself to cry’

Ratna Pathak Shah remembered late comedian Satish Shah's strength and rare emotional moments with his wife Madhu Shah.

The industry lost one of its most iconic comedians, Satish Shah, on 25 October. The late actor’s Sarabhai vs Sarabhai co-star gave him an emotional yet warm farewell by organising a musical prayer meet. Now, Ratna Pathak Shah, who played his on-screen wife in the beloved sitcom, has recalled how Satish often hid his emotions and revealed the only time she ever saw him break down.

Ratna Pathak Shah recalls seeing Satish Shah shattered

Ratna Pathak Shah says Satish Shah used to hide his deeper emotions.

In a conversation with The Hindu, Ratna opened up about the Sarabhai vs Sarabhai cast singing the show’s theme song and bidding him goodbye with a joyful prayer gathering, saying Satish truly deserved such a send-off. She added that the late actor didn’t deserve weeping, mourning, or people lamenting what was or what could have been, because he lived life to the fullest and faced everything with immense courage and humour.

She further shared, “I felt Satish maybe didn’t let his other side come out, even to himself. He probably never acknowledged that there was more to life than humour and smiling through everything. Sometimes it’s necessary to sit and cry, and I don’t think Satish ever allowed himself that. Maybe he did with Madhu, because she was with him every step of the way.”

On 25 October, Satish collapsed at his Mumbai residence while having lunch. Although he was rushed to the hospital, the doctor declared him dead on arrival. While early reports suggested kidney failure, his Sarabhai vs Sarabhai co-star Rajesh Kumar revealed to Bollywood Hungama that the actor died of a heart attack. Satish had no children and is survived by his wife, Madhu, who is living with Alzheimer’s disease.

Satish entertained audiences as Indravardhan Sarabhai in the iconic sitcom Sarabhai vs Sarabhai. Over his long and celebrated career, he also appeared in blockbusters such as Hum Aapke Hain Koun!, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Main Hoon Na, Kal Ho Naa Ho, Om Shanti Om, and many more. He was 74 when he passed away.