Mumbai: Veteran Bollywood comedian Jagdeep is no more. He passed away here Wednesday owing to age-related health problems at the age of 81.
Born March 29, 1939 as Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed Jafri in Amritsar, Jagdeep acted in over 400 films. He is best known for his role of ‘Soorma Bhopali’ in Ramesh Sippy’s blockbuster Sholay (1975). New-generation Hindi film buffs would recall him as Salman Khan’s father in Rajkumar Santoshi’s Andaaz Apna Apna (1994).
Jagdeep started his career as a child artiste in BR Chopra’s 1951 release, Afsana, starring Ashok Kumar, Veena and Pran. As a child artiste he also worked in the Raj Kapoor-produced Ab Dilli Door Nahin, KA Abbas’s Munna, Guru Dutt’s Aar Paar, Bimal Roy’s Do Bigha Zamin and the AVM-produced Hum Panchi Ek Dal Ke. Later, he would make a mark with roles in films such as Bhabhi (1957) and Barkha (1959).
Jagdeep’s golden patch would begin with GP Sippy’s 1968 film Brahmachari, starring Shammi Kapoor. His comic role in the film was widely appreciated. Through the seventies, eighties and the nineties, he became a familiar face in Hindi films, essaying the goofy funnyman in film after film.
His last-released film is Masti Nahi Sasti in 2017. The Ali Abbas Chaudhary-directed comedy also featured Kader Khan, Shakti Kapoor, Johnny Lever and Prem Chopra.
