Actor Ratna Pathak Shah has written a poignant homage to her Sarabhai vs Sarabhai co-star and close friend Satish Shah, who died of cardiac arrest recently. In an emotional moment, she recounted her last connection with the veteran actor, a funny WhatsApp message that now feels like his final joke.
Ratna Pathak Shah shared their last conversation
Ratna wrote a column for the Indian Express in which she stated that on October 25, at 12:57 PM, she received a message from Satish saying, “I`m often mistaken for an adult because of my age.” Amused, she responded at 2:14 PM, “That`s just right for you!” Barely two hours later, at 3:49 PM, she received a stunning message from producer JD Majethia stating, “Satishbhai is no more!”
“At first, it felt like someone was pulling a fast one in terrible taste. As it sank in, it became even more unbelievable. Satish gone! A man determined to live life more fully, laugh at it and take every blow on the chin and come out smiling, gone!,” she wrote.
She recalled their friends` astonishment and disbelief, as they messaged each other in shock, unsure how to react. Many other people had received similar lighthearted notes from him that day.
The two actors had an iconic on-screen combination as Maya and Indravadan Sarabhai in the popular sitcom Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, and they were longtime friends off-screen. Satish Shah`s passing ends an era of seamless comedy and warmth that touched millions of people.
All about Satish Shah`s demise
On October 25, 74-year-old actor Satish Shah passed away in Mumbai. According to co-star Rajesh Kumar, the exact cause of his death was a sudden cardiac arrest, not kidney failure as previously reported. He apparently fainted at home at lunch and was transported to the hospital, where attempts to revive him were futile.
At Satish Shah`s funeral, Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai`s cast paid him an emotional tribute by singing the title song of the show at the late actor`s pyre. Deven Bhojani also penned a clarification when they received mixed reactions. He wrote, “May look mad, dark, weird, whatever, but we always sing this when together & today was not an exception. Felt as if INDU himself insisted and joined us. RIP Satish Shah ji, I am blessed to have directed you in Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai. You’ll live forever in our hearts.”
