Updated on: Oct 30, 2025 12:08 pm IST
Ratna Pathak Shah pays tribute to her late co-star Satish Shah, who passed away at 74 from cardiac arrest.
Actor Ratna Pathak Shah has penned a heartfelt tribute to her Sarabhai vs Sarabhai co-star and dear friend Satish Shah, who passed away recently due to cardiac arrest. In an emotional note, she recalled her last interaction with the veteran actor, a humorous WhatsApp message that now feels like his final joke.
Ratna Pathak Shah pays tribute to Satish Shah
Ratna wrote a piece for the Indian Express in which she noted that on October 25, at 12:57 PM, she received a message from Satish that read, “I’m often mistaken for an adult because of my age.” Amused, she replied at 2:14 PM, “That’s just right for you!” Barely two hours later, at 3:49 PM, she received a shocking message from producer JD Majethia that read, “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!,” he wrote.
She described the confusion and disbelief among their friends, who frantically messaged each other in shock as no one knew how to react. Many others had received similar light-hearted messages from him that day.
The two actors shared an iconic on-screen partnership as Maya and Indravadan Sarabhai in the beloved sitcom Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, and were close friends off-screen for decades. Satish Shah’s death marks the end of an era of effortless comedy and warmth that touched millions of hearts.
Satish Shah’s death
Veteran actor Satish Shah, aged 74, passed away on October 25 in Mumbai. While earlier reports cited kidney failure as the cause, his co‑star Rajesh Kumar clarified that the true reason was a sudden cardiac arrest. He reportedly collapsed at home during lunch before being rushed to the hospital, where efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.
