Veteran Bollywood actor and comedian Govardhan Asrani, popularly known as Asrani, passed away on Monday at the age of 84 after a prolonged illness. He had been hospitalized for five days due to age-related ailments.

Born on January 1, 1940, in Jaipur to a middle-class Sindhi family, Asrani chose acting over his father’s carpet business. He completed his schooling at St. Xavier’s School and graduated from Rajasthan College, supporting his studies by working as a voice artist at All India Radio, Jaipur.

Asrani trained under Sahitya Kalbhai Thakkar from 1960 to 1962 and later joined the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, in 1964. He made his Bollywood debut in 1967 with Hare Kaanch Ki Choodiyan and also appeared as a lead actor in several Gujarati films.

He gained immense popularity for his role as the jailer in Sholay and delivered notable performances under directors like Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Gulzar, and B.R. Chopra. Asrani also shared the screen with Rajesh Khanna in around 25 films, including Bawarchi (1972).

In the 2000s, he became a prominent figure in Priyadarshan’s comedies, starring in films such as Hera Pheri, Aamdani Atthani Kharcha Rupaiyaa, Baghban, Chup Chup Ke, Garam Masala, and Bol Bachchan. He also appeared in the 2023 comedy Dream Girl 2.

Asrani is survived by his wife, actress Manju Bansal, whom he met during the filming of Aaj Ki Taaza Khabar and Namak Haram, and their son, Naveen Asrani.

With a career spanning over five decades, Asrani’s contribution to Hindi cinema as an actor and director will be remembered for generations.

Source: NDTV