Entertainment
Veteran performer Asrani is receiving a ton of tributes, including


By Kajal Sharma - 21 Oct 2025 08:10 PM
Indian actor Govardhan Asrani passed away last week at the age of 84, and tributes are flooding in. According to his management, Asrani, who goes by his last name, passed away in a hospital in Mumbai city on Monday after a brief illness, as reported by BBC Hindi. Asrani performed in over 300 films during the course of a career that lasted more than 50 years, the majority of them were comedic. He played an eccentric jailer in the 1975 hit Sholay, which stands out as one of his most memorable roles."Asrani ji, the person who made everyone smile, is no longer with us. In a statement shared on the actor's social media accounts, his family wrote, "His passing is an irreparable loss for both Hindi cinema and our hearts." On Monday, family members and close friends attended the performance of his last rites. Asrani was referred to as a "versatile artist" and "gifted entertainer" by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi."In particular, his remarkable performances brought laughter and joy to innumerable lives. Modi commented on X, "His contribution to Indian cinema will always be cherished." Asrani was born in 1941 in Rajasthan, a state in western India.
In the 1960s, he studied acting at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) after starting his career as a voice actor at the state-run All India Radio. Although he made his Hindi cinema debut in 1967, he gained global recognition for his role as a clumsy jailer in the 1975 film Sholay, which was intended to be a caricature of Adolf Hitler.Earlier this year, Asrani recounted his preparation for the part in an interview with BBC Hindi. He stated that the jailer "thinks he is very smart but isn't," according to the film's director Ramesh Sippy and writer Salim-Javed. In the 1980s and 1990s, Asrani was frequently featured on television programs that were broadcast on Doordarshan, the state broadcaster. In the 1980s hit series Natkhat Narad, he portrayed the Hindu scholar Narad Muni. In addition, he directed a number of Gujarati and Hindi movies. From subtle situational humor to overblown performances, the actor became linked with comedic roles in popular movies. However, he thought he was more than a comedian.