By Ayesha Khan 
Mumbai, October 21: Bollywood lost one of its gentlest souls this weekend. Govardhan Asrani, better known to everyone simply as Asrani, passed away in Mumbai on Sunday, aged 84. The man who once made a nation laugh with his trembling English and his absurd “Angrezon ke zamaane ke jailer” routine in Sholay took his final bow quietly, leaving behind five decades of laughter.
The Man Behind The Smile
Asrani was born in Jaipur on January 1, 1941, long before Bollywood became an industry. He was a Sindhi boy with no film connections, just an odd fascination with mimicry and theatre. He joined FTII Pune, learned acting the hard way, and landed in Mumbai in the 1960s, one among hundreds chasing the same dream.
He didn’t break through overnight. Bit parts, forgotten films, months without wor,k that was his start. But once he found his rhythm, there was no mistaking his face. Something about his comic timing felt lived-in, as if he wasn’t “performing” the joke; he was the joke, yet somehow never the butt of it.
The Role That Stuck Forever
Every actor has one role that defines them. For Asrani, it was the jailer in “Sholay.”
That scene his handlebar moustache, khaki uniform, and the affected British accent, is Indian film folklore now. He was on screen barely for a few minutes, yet it was enough to etch him permanently into pop culture.
Even now, half a century later, if someone imitates a self-important official, chances are they’re doing Asrani. His comedy had that kind of staying power, playful, absurd, and somehow wise.
The Final Days
According to The Indian Express, Asrani had been in and out of Arogya Nidhi Hospital in Juhu for breathing complications caused by fluid in his lungs. He passed away around 3 p.m. on October 20, surrounded by family. His last rites were conducted the same evening at the Santacruz Crematorium.
Hours before that, he had shared a short Diwali message with fan,s cheerful as ever. “He never liked to worry anyone,” his family said in a short statement to The Times of India. “Even in pain, he cracked jokes. He believed laughter was healing.”
A Nation Mourns
From the Prime Minister to old co-stars, tributes came pouring in. Narendra Modi called him “a gifted entertainer and a truly versatile artist.” Amitabh Bachchan, his Sholay co-star, wrote that Asrani “brought warmth and rhythm to every scene.”
On social media, film fans turned nostalgic. Clips from Chhoti Si Baat, Aaj Ka M.L.A. Ram Avtar, Chala Murari Hero Banne, and of course, Sholay flooded timelines. Hashtags like #RIPAsrani and #ThankYouForTheLaughter trended for hours. For many, his passing felt strangely personal, like losing a funny uncle you grew up watching on television.
Not Just A Comic
Those who knew Asrani well always said he was never just a comedian. He had range, real range. He could do light humour in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s films, turn serious under Gulzar, and then go completely over the top in a Manmohan Desai potboiler.
In the late 1970s, he even turned filmmaker. His directorial debut, “Chala Murari Hero Banne”, was loosely based on his own stor,y that of a struggler who comes to Bombay with stars in his eyes. It’s a film that now feels oddly prophetic.
A few years ago, he told Maharashtra Times about those early rejections. “Nobody would even let me audition,” he said. “It was Indira Gandhi who saw my play in Pune and told a producer, ‘This boy should be on screen.’ That’s how my luck changed.”
You could sense the gratitude in his words.
Never Truly Gone
Asrani never stopped working. Even in his eighties, he kept showing up for shoots, no matter how small the part. He liked the chaos of the sets, the lights, the chatter, and the sound of a director yelling, “Action!”
His last two films, “Bhooth Bangla” and “Haiwaan”, both directed by Priyadarshan, are expected to hit theatres in 2026. He finished filming them not long before his health declined. Those movies will now carry the bittersweet weight of being his final performances.
The Kind Of Laughter We’re Losing
Asrani’s humour belonged to another time, not the mean, meme-driven humour we see online today, but the gentle kind that made room for everyone. He didn’t mock; he mirrored. His fools were tender, human, familiar. You saw your boss, your neighbour,and your father’s friend in them.
He was part of a generation that made India laugh without cruelty. And that’s rare now.
The Last Word
He once said in an interview that all he ever wanted was to make people forget their problems “for five minutes.” It’s a modest dream, but it’s one he fulfilled a thousand times over.
Now, with his passing, Indian cinema loses more than an actor it loses one of its oldest bridges to innocence. Still, it’s hard not to smile at the thought that somewhere, in the afterlife’s projection room, he’s probably rehearsing his jailer’s salute, mispronouncing English, and making the angels laugh.
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- Ayesha Khanhttps://hindustanherald.in/author/ayesha/
- Ayesha Khanhttps://hindustanherald.in/author/ayesha/
- Ayesha Khanhttps://hindustanherald.in/author/ayesha/
- Ayesha Khanhttps://hindustanherald.in/author/ayesha/
Ananya Sharma and Ayesha Khan