Blessed are those who make others laugh. These uncommon people, gifted with a sense of humour and comic timing, are treated as jokers but the fact remains that they make the world a much better place to live in. India needs more of them. It was this very month of 1984 when I encountered a film celebrity in person for the first time ever in my less ordinary life. The location was Dum Dum Airport of Calcutta (Now Kolkata) and the man…average height, average build, pinkish cheeks, clean shaven, curly haired and lost in his thoughts. Donning a light cream suit, a bag on his shoulder and a suitcase next to him, he stood quietly by himself. I had recognized the Narad in him.
I reserve special regard for every self-made guy, especially in a compartmentalized country like India, more so if he is talented. The chap standing there was both. Unfortunately, due to my own character flaw, I have never been starstruck till date. I just stood at a distance and watched my all-time favorite actor with excitement – an actor whom I mimicked in the annual Nautanki at my little village. By the time I met him, I had been fascinated by this gentleman’s performance in films like The Burning Train (1980), Pati Patni Aur Woh (1978), Chala Murari Hero Banne (1977), Sholay (1975), Chhoti Si Baat (1975), Chupke Chupke (1975), Namak Haram (1974), Abhimaan (1973), Bawarchi (1973), et al where he literally stole every scene he appeared in. I was in the process of mesmerization when the gent picked up his stuff and walked in my direction.
He casually stole a glance and smiled at the delighted child in me. Before I could smile back and point him out to my mother, that handsome man ruffled my hair and walked away quietly just the way he did in his death. It was Govardhan Puja and I had just met Govardhan Asrani. For the uninitiated, the legendary Asrani Sa’ was a multi-faceted personality with inexhaustible talent. From being a student of the first batch of my Alma Mater, Film & Television Institute of India, to being a Director of the same institute, Govardhan Asrani came from the Pink City which he always called Jaipar; the way typical Rajasthanis pronounce Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan.
Taking off as a voice artist at All India Radio, Jaipur to being a Lecturer at FTII, Pune, he covered a long uncertain journey by the time he turned 30 and hit the City of Dreams, Bombay (now Mumbai) in the early 1970s. Doordarshan viewers of the 1980s-90s would remember his impeccable hosting of famous film shows and remarkable anchoring in TV Shows. This system faded when the film stars took over anchoring from non-stars in late 90s. The versatile Asrani Sa’ was already restricted to comic roles in Indian cinema, due to the impact he created; a classic case of paying for your success. Nevertheless, it didn’t bother him as he had been there, done it all – from hero to villain, from secondary characters to comedy, from hero’s sidekick to parallel lead, from writer to singer, from director to producer, from radio to movies via TV and from Rajasthan to Maharashtra via Gujarat. The song “Binati Sunal Tanik Natkhat Gori Mori” was sung by him for a movie, Alaap, which featured a bigger legend who was at his peak then – Amitabh Bachchan.
Wherever Asrani Sa’ appeared he left his distinct footprints and that’s the sign of someone unique, secured, talented and confident. He had created his own fan following. His influence can be gauged by the fact that for decades, TV viewers considere d him to b e the personification of Narad (the divine sage and official PR of Lord Vishnu as per Hinduism) when he played this character in the 80s DD serial – Natkhat Narad. Such masters are unstoppable. His professionalism was of such high standards that as a Lecturer at FTII, Asrani Sa’ apparently refused admission to a rich and famous youngster from a powerful and renowned film family because he didn’t possess the necessary educational qualifications. Despite this friction, they went on to do 16 films together.
That youngster was Rishi Kapoor. From 350 films plus in a 60-year long career to the upcoming Bhoot Bangla (2026), starring Akshay Kumar, Asrani Sa’ regaled us no end. Let me share a recent example of his lasting mass appeal. One of the most viral episodes till date of the popular Kapil Sharma Show, on Sony Entertainment Television (SET India), had him as one of the guests in 2022. In the company of seasoned entertainers like Shakti Kapoor, Tiku Talsania, Paintal and Kapil Sharma himself, Asrani Sa’ walked away with a standing ovation. Without taking other mediums into consideration, that episode has been viewed by 10 million on the YouTube Channel of SET India. Asrani Sa’ was 81 years old then.
No, wait. I am wrong. Such so-called non-stars don’t walk away quietly into the night. They leave behind a timeless legacy on the path followed by generations thereafter. Could there be another ‘Angrezo Ke Zamaane Ke Jailor’ in the last 50 years? The heavens would be full of laughter today but you will be sorely missed down here. 41 years down the line, it’s Govardhan Puja again and I miss meeting Govardhan Asrani again.
(The writer is a movie and media professional.)