Salman Khan mourns veteran actor Asrani's death, calls him ‘a true legend of laughter’

Govardhan Asrani, fondly known as Asrani, passed away on Monday after a prolonged illness. He was 84.

Published on: Oct 21, 2025, 20:49:28 IST

By Santanu Das

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Veteran Bollywood actor and comedian Govardhan Asrani, fondly known as Asrani, passed away on Monday after a prolonged illness. He was 84. Several Bollywood stars paid tributes to him on social media. Now, Salman Khan has shared a post on X that he is ‘saddened’ to hear about his demise.

Salman Khan is 'saddened' to hear about Asrani's demise.

Salman Khan's post

Taking to his X account, Salman shared a picture of the veteran star and wrote in the caption, “Saddened to hear of Asrani Ji’s demise. A true legend of laughter. #RIP.”

From Akshay Kumar to Aamir Khan, several stars penned notes on the demise of Asrani. Manoj Bajpayee wrote, “Deeply saddened by the passing of Asrani Sir. Working with him in Dus Tola was a privilege. His warmth, humour and humility will always stay with me. I learnt so much from our conversations and from his passion for teaching and the craft of acting. Om Shanti.”

Asrani dead at 84

Govardhan Asrani, fondly known as Asrani, passed away on Monday after a prolonged illness. He was 84. On Monday, news agency ANI tweeted, “Actor-director Govardhan Asrani, popularly known as 'Asrani' passed away in Mumbai today after a prolonged illness. His last rites were performed at Santacruz Crematorium.”

Asrani’s manager, Babubhai Thiba, told ANI - "Asrani passed away today at 3 PM at Arogya Nidhi Hospital, Juhu. He is survived by his wife, sister, and nephew."

Over a career spanning more than five decades, Asrani became one of Hindi cinema’s most beloved faces. Known for his impeccable comic timing and expressive performances, he appeared in over 350 films. Among his many roles, his portrayal of the jail warden in the 1975 classic Sholay remains an iconic part of Indian pop culture. In recent times, he featured in projects such as Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Dhamaal, Bunty Aur Babli 2, R... Rajkumar, All The Best, and Welcome. He is survived by his wife, Manju Asrani, his sister, and nephew. The couple had no children.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Santanu Das
Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupechaRead More

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