Jagdeep passed away on July 8. (Express archive photo)
Bollywood actor Jagdeep passed away on Wednesday, following age-related health problems. He was 81.
Hindi cinema fans will always remember Jagdeep for playing Soorma Bhopali in the cult film Sholay. He played a timber merchant in the Ramesh Sippy directorial and his catchphrase “Mera naam Soorma Bhopali aise hi nahi hai”, much like other dialogues of the film, became a hit.
Jagdeep entered the film industry as a child artiste and was seen in films like Bimal Roy’s Do Bigha Zamin, KA Abbas’ Munna and Guru Dutt’s Aar Paar. He proceeded to act in movies for almost six decades.
In fact, Jagdeep also took the director’s chair in 1988. He directed a film titled Soorma Bhopali, which was based on his own character from Sholay. He also played the central role here.
Jagdeep was also seen in popular films like Feroze Khan starrer Qurbani and Amitabh Bachchan starrer Shehenshah. In the 90s, he found a new audience as he played the role of Salman Khan’s father in the cult comedy Andaz Apna Apna. He played the character of Bankelal in the Rajkumar Santoshi directorial.
Jaaved Jaaferi told indianexpress.com, "My father loved what he did on screen. But he had a very tragic life, and out of that tragedy came the comedy. He would talk to us about what he went through in life."
Also Read | Jaaved Jaaferi: My father had a tragic life and out of it came the comedy
"Thank you so much. There are a lot of people who have sent us messages but we couldn't reply to everyone. Whosoever is watching this, we thank you for your blessings and love. Our father gave 70 years to the industry and got a lot of love and respect. That love is being reflected today, as we can see. We are not going on the internet as we are not in that frame of mind. On behalf of our father, who gave his 70 years, please, if you could say a small prayer for him. That will be a lot for us," Jaaved said.
Sanjay Dutt tweeted, "Saddened to hear about the demise of Jagdeep Sahab. His work has entertained generations... I remember how watching his films brought a smile to our faces. May his soul rest in peace and my deepest condolences to his family."
Suniel Shetty tweeted, "Thank you for the wonderful and ever lasting memories and laughter... #RIPJagdeepSahab. My heartfelt condolences to the entire family White heart."
A tweet from PVR Cinemas read, "A legendary actor who brought smiles on everyone's face with his amazing acting. We will miss you, #Jagdeep Sahab."
Malayalam filmmaker Sangeeth Sivan tweeted, "Actor, comedian par excellence #Jagdeep no more. Prayers are with his family. May #Allah give them the strength to withstand this great loss. I was fortunate to know him and interact with him - a fabulous human being full of life & joy.
@jaavedjaaferi @NavedJafri_BOO."
Mouni Roy wrote, "Rest in peace and greatness sir."
Soha Ali Khan shared on Instagram, "#Jagdeep Ji always brought so much joy and laughter to the screen. He will be missed greatly. My heartfelt condolences to the family. May they have the strength and support they need to make it through this difficult time."
A tweet from Zee Studios' official handle read, "An actor par excellence, his legacy will live on through all his iconic roles over the decades. RIP Jagdeep Ji."
Screenwriter Aniruddha Guha wrote on Twitter, "Soorma Bhopali’s no more. An absolute legend. RIP, Jagdeep."
Dharmendra tweeted, "....tum bhi chale gaye ....sadme ke baad sadma..... Jannat naseeb ho .....tumhein."
John Abraham tweeted, "Always made us smile. Rest In Peace. #Jagdeep."
Musician Ankur Téwari tweeted, "They make you laugh, smile and hurt a little less. Maybe that’s why it hurts more when a comedian passes away. Rest in peace sir. Sending love and light to you and the family @jaavedjaaferi #Jagdeep."
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, "Jagdeep ji was a great actor and a noble soul. His passing away is a great loss. God bless his soul. Heartfelt condolences @jaavedjaaferi."
Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot tweeted, "Saddened to learn about the passing away of legendary comedian & actor Jagdeep Jafri ji. His many performances including those in Sholay & Soorma Bhopali will stay with us forever. My condolences to the family, loved ones, and fans. May his soul find peace."
Randeep Hooda shared on Twitter, "Rest in peace #Jagdeep saab .. thank you for all the entertainment."
Yami Gautam wrote, "Innumerable memories of laughing at those same scenes over & over again and now forever.. a true entertainer... We thank you..May your soul rest in peace, Jagdeep Sir."
Sidharth Malhotra wrote, "Saddened to hear about Jagdeep Sahab's demise. A Hindi cinemas legendary actor, who’s made us laugh on so many occasion... thank you Sir, you will be in our memories forever. My condolences with his family."
Ashutosh Gowariker tweeted, "“Paise? Aise kaise paise maang rahe ho!” #Jagdeep ji’s THIS line from Sholay, is one of his many, that I use even today, in his inimitable style! King of COMIC TIMING & VOICE MODULATION! RIP Sir! Man bowing deeply. Deepest condolences to Javed-Naved & fam!"
Kubbra Sait shared on Instagram, "Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. Thanks for the memories you are leaving behind.Condolences to the Family."
Esha Gupta shared on Twitter, 'You’ve taught us what comedy is, and we still look up to you. We knew the the moment you’ll appear on screen that it’ll be a laugh riot, but you always left your audience with a lot of emotions. #RestInPeace Jagdeep sir, no one like you, soorma bhopali.'
Madhuri Dixit remembered Jagdeep by saying, "Jagdeep sahab was an actor par excellence & his on-screen presence is unmatched. He was a gentle soul and he told us lovely stories of the black & white era. Thank you for the decades of laughter & entertainment ? My heartfelt condolences to Jaaved & your family." #RIPJagdeepJi
Bhumi Pednekar wrote on Twitter, "RIP sir ?? You’ve left behind such beautiful and memorable characters...Thank you for all the entertainment."
Divya Dutt tweeted, "He was a legend, with impeccable comic timing. He will be always remembered for the laughs he gave his audience. I’ll also remember him as a very kind and affectionate person. RIP #Jagdeep saab."
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan remembered Jagdeep, his co-star of many films. He wrote on his blog, "Jagdeep .. the actor of exceptional comedic repertoire, passed away .. He had crafted a unique individual style of his own .. and I had the honour of working with him in several films .. the more prominent ones in the eyes of the audience being Sholay and Shahenshah."
Kunal Kemmu shared on Instagram, "Thank you for the decades of giggles tickles laughter and entertainment #Jagdeep sir. You will always be missed and remembered. One of the few names that brought smiles to faces just by the very mention of your name. Love and prayers to the family ??."
Former cricketer Yuvraj Singh tweeted, "Sad to hear of the passing of one of India’s iconic and versatile actor Jagdeep sahab who enthralled the audiences for many decades. My condolences to @jaavedjaaferi @NavedJafri_BOO and prayers for the strength of the family ??#RIPJagdeepSahab."
Farhan Akhtar tweeted, "RIP Jagdeep Sahab .. thank you for the years of entertainment and laughs. Deepest condolences to Javed, Naved & the family."
Filmmaker and screenwriter Sudhir Mishra tweeted, "I loved Jagdeep . Just loved him ! Could take a moment and improvise the hell out of it . They should have written films around him . A very long innings which began as a child artiste comes to an end .Hey Javed and Naved ,May you have the strength.!@JavedJaffrey."
Shilpa Shetty shared an old photo of herself with Jagdeep and captioned it, "Extremely saddened by the news of Jagdeep ji’s demise.??I had the good fortune to share screen space with him in Rishtey, such wonderful comic timing, in his inimitable style and an even more wonderful human being ??."
Veteran screenwriter and lyricist Javed Akhtar wrote. "Jagdeep saheb had first appeared on the screen as a winsome child Artiste in films like Do bigha Zameen . As a young man he played highly emotional n dramatic roles in films like Bhabi , patang . Comedy was his second successful inning . Great talent , underused . Good bye sir ."
Abhishek Bachchan tweeted, "May you rest in peace Jagdeep sahab. Thank you for filling our lives with smiles."
Raj Babbar wrote on Twitter, "Deepest Condolences on the demise of Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed Jaffrey Saheb #Jagdeep Ji. Blessed to have walked few steps with this great soul in his 400 films long journey. Always marvelled at his impeccable comic timing & versatility. His place in our hearts is forever. RIP Sir."
Shatrughan Sinha tweeted, "Deepest condolences on the sad demise of veteran actor, comedian par excellence, iconic #Jagdeep. He was a great human being & very down to earth. I was not only his neighbour during my initial years but also bought my first car 'Austin' from him. I had the privilege of working."
The Indian Express' Shubhra Gupta writes, "You think of Jagdeep, and the first thing that comes to mind is Soorma Bhopali, the Sholay (1975) character who became so wildly popular that it nearly eclipsed everything else he did. Flash back to that scene in which our heroes, Jai and Veeru, come upon Soorma Bhopali telling a bunch of spellbound listeners of how he beat the two with a stick, and how he’s found out: his paan-stained teeth, that Bhopali lilt, and comfort in a role meant strictly for laughs, made his Soorma unforgettable."
Also Read | Jagdeep (1939-2020): Soorma Bhopali lives on
Riteish Deshmukh posted on Twitter, "Thank you #Jagdeep sahab for enriching our lives with laughter and happiness that will be cherished for a lifetime. Rest In peace Sir. Deepest Condolences to the family, friends and millions of his fans (just like me)."
Adil Hussain took to Twitter and wrote, "Very Sad news of Actor Jagdeep's demise. Watched him since my childhood. Thank you Jagdeepjee for making a whole generation laugh out loud. Will always remember him with a smile. My deepest condolences to @jaavedjaaferi and the Entire Family."
"Jagdeep Sahab was a great actor and one of my favorites. He would call me often to say how he looks forward to my movies as they are complete entertainers. Thank you for the memories. Condolences to Naved, Javed & Family. #RIPJagdeepSahab," Anees Bazmee said via Twitter.
"Loved watching Jagdeep sahab while growing up.. will always remember him in fond memories, thank you for all the entertainment sir.. My deep condolences to the family #Jagdeep," Karan Tacker mentioned on Twitter.
Ayushmann Khurrana remarked Jagdeep's contribution to the Hindi film industry will always be remembered. He thanked the comedian for 'the laughs and memories.'
Rohit Bose Roy wrote on Twitter, "Another legend leaves us... thank you for the many, many decades of smiles and cheers... #JagdeepJi RIP"
Ashish Chowdhry tweeted, "Felt like I knew #JagdeepJi because of my brother @jaavedjaaferi who he passed all his talent and more to. I have hugely admired your Dad and you, Jaaved. God bless Dad with a beautiful journey ahead. And power to your beautiful family and our heart-winner @MeezaanJ #RIPJagdeep"
Kiku Sharda posted on Twitter, "Rest in Peace Jagdeep sir. I have performed/enacted so many of your film scenes on the stage of school functions. You will be missed. My condolences to @NavedJafri_BOO @jaavedjaaferi and the entire family."
Papon shared on Twitter, "Sad to hear about #Jagdeep ji’s departure. So many childhood memories! He use to light the screen everytime he would walk in! May god bless his soul!"
"RIP Jagdeep sahab. May your soul find its peace.. Heartfelt condolences to @jaavedjaaferi, @NavedJafri_BOO and the entire family for this huge loss. Love and prayers," Aftab Shivdasani said via Twitter.
Vishal Dadlani wrote on Twitter, "#Jagdeep Sa'ab is forever. I was 2 when I first saw #Sholay and even at that age his character left an unforgettable impression. Love and strength to the entire family, especially my brothers @jaavedjaaferi @NavedJafri_BOO @MeezaanJ"
Manoj Bajpayee tweeted, "Rest in peace Jagdeep sahab!! Thank you for all the memories that I have watching your films and performances in my childhood!! You will be missed by us all!! Condolences to the family!!!"
Tusshar Kapoor posted on Twitter, "RIP Jagdeep Saab! Millions of us grew up watching your brilliance on screen! Thank you for the legacy, thank you for the laughs, too!"
Hansal Mehta took to Twitter and wrote, "Condolences @jaavedjaaferi and to the entire family. He will always be cherished and remembered with a broad smile. I hope people get to see a film called Muskurahat by Priyadarshan sir to witness his brilliance. It is one of my favorite Jagdeep saahab performances."
Ranvir Shorey shared on Twitter, "Jagdeep sahab was a comedic legend. A true stalwart of Indian cinema. Heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and fans. RIP. #respect"
"My first film & the first time I ever faced the camera, was in the film #yehrishtanatoote with the legend himself #Jagdeep bhai. We will miss you...May his soul rest in peace. Our prayers & deepest condolences to the family," Johny Lever said via Twitter.
Genelia Deshmukh wrote on Twitter, "RIP Jagdeep Sahab ... Remember shooting with you during Life Partner and cracking up with laughter all through the scene.. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have got that chance to work with you..All my condolences to the family."
Anil Kapoor tweeted, "Jagdeep Saab was one of the greatest actors of India...I was his huge fan & was lucky enough to have worked with him in Ek Baar Kaho & many more films...he was always extremely supportive & encouraging...sending my heartfelt condolences & prayers to my friend Javed & family..."
Ajay Devgn posted on Twitter, "Heard the sad news of Jagdeep Saab’s demise. Always enjoyed watching him on screen. He brought so much joy to the audience. My deepest condolences to Jaaved and all members of the family. Prayers for Jagdeep Saab’s soul."