Speaking to BBC Hindi, Asrani said he was proud of the recognition he received for his comic timing but did not consider himself merely a “comedian”, rather “an artist who finds truth in every role”.
Through his career, Asrani worked with some of the biggest actors and directors of every era.
Some of his most iconic films include Chupke Chupke (1975), Pati Patni Aur Woh (1978) and Balika Badhu (1976) – a role that won him the Filmfare award for best comic actor.
Asrani occasionally broke away from his humorous image to portray darker, more complex roles in films such as Koshish (1972) and Chaitali (1975).
As news of his death broke, coworkers paid their tributes and shared memories of working with him.
Mr Sippy, who directed Sholay, said Asrani would always be remembered for the role of the jailer, calling it the one he was born to play.
Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar shared a photo of himself with Asrani, recalling the actor’s comic timing.
“From all my cult films Hera Pheri to Bhagam Bhag to De Dana Dan, Welcome and now our unreleased Bhoot Bangla and Haiwaan… I had worked and learned so much from him. What an absolute loss to our industry,” he wrote on X.
Singer Adnan Sami, who worked with Asrani in one of his music videos, shared a personal memory of the actor’s generosity and charm.
“I had the honour of working and spending time with him when I requested him to appear in my music video of Lift Karadey (a 1997 song) and I too wanted him to reenact his legendary ‘Jailor’ character for which he generously agreed,” he wrote.
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