Farooq Sheikh

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Farooque Shaikh

Sheikh at the 2011 Mirchi Music Awards

Born 25 March 1948

Vadodara, Gujarat, India

Died 28 December 2013 (aged 65)

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Cause of death Heart attack

Nationality Indian

Education St. Xavier's College, Mumbai

Occupation Actor

Spouse(s) Roopa Shaikh

Children Sanaa Shaikh, Shaaista Shaikh

Farooque Shaikh (25 March 1948 − 28 December 2013) was an Indian actor, philanthropist and
a popular television presenter. He was best known for his work in Hindi films from 1977 to 1989
and for his work in television between 1988 and 2002. He returned to acting in films in 2008 and
continued to do so until his death on 28 December 2013. His major contribution was in Parallel
 Cinema or the New Indian Cinema. He worked with directors like Satyajit Ray, Muzaffar
Ali, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Ketan Mehta. [1]

He acted in serials and shows on television and performed on stage in famous productions such
as Tumhari Amrita (1992), alongside Shabana Azmi, directed by Feroz Abbas Khan, and
presented the TV show, Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai (Season 1). He won the 2010 National Film
[2]

Award for Best Supporting Actor for Lahore. [3]

Contents
[hide]

 1Personal life
 2Career
 3Death
 4Filmography
 5Awards and recognition
 6References
 7External links

Personal life[edit]
Shaikh was born in 1948 at Amroli, a village near Nasvadi vadodra, Gujarat, to father Mustafa
Shaikh and Mother Farida. His father Mustafa Shaikh was a lawyer settled in Mumbai, whose
[4][5]

family hailed from Hansot village (Bharuch district, Gujarat). Shaikh's family
[6]

were Zamindars (landowners), and he grew up in luxurious surroundings. Shaikh was the eldest
of five children, and grew up in Nagpada, Mumbai, where his father had settled down to practise
law. [7]

Shaikh attended St. Mary's School, Mumbai and then graduated from St. Xavier's College,
Mumbai. He then studied law at Siddharth College of Law, Mumbai. His father had a successful
[8]

law practice, which prompted Shaikh to take up law initially. Shaikh came to acting after failing
[9]

to relate to his profession in law. [10]

It was at St. Xavier's College that Shaikh met Roopa, his future wife. Both of them were active in
theatre while at college and later they got married. Shaikh's stint at St. Xavier's was important
[11]

for both the personal and professional aspects of his life. He made many friends there,
including Sunil Gavaskar, who was a contemporary. His interest in theatre took flight while he
[12]

was at St. Xavier's, and among the other theatre enthusiasts there was Roopa, who was his
junior at St Xavier's College. Actor Shabana Azmi, then known mainly as the daughter of noted
poet Kaifi Azmi, was Roopa's classmate. Shaikh thus developed both his theatre skills and his
professional network during those years. He married Roopa some years after graduating from St.
Xaviers. They have two daughters, Shaaista and Sanaa. His younger daughter Sanaa works with
the NGO United Way Mumbai. [13]
Career[edit]

Farooque Shaikh

In his early days, he was active in theatre, doing plays with IPTA and with well-known directors
like Sagar Sarhadi. In 1973, while Shaikh was in his final year of law school, MS Sathyu
approached him for his directorial debut Garam Hawa. His first major film role was in the 1973
[14]

film Garam Hawa, where Farooque had a supporting role and the leading man was Balraj Sahni.
The film is credited for being a pioneer of a new wave of Hindi Art cinema. His salary for his
[15]

debut film was only Rupees 750. He first gained popular recognition as a quiz master on radio,
[16]

but it was his participation as an anchor on Bombay Doordarshan shows such as Yuvadarshan
and Young World that made him a household name. Sheikh in Gaman (1978) acted as the
[17]

migrant Bombay taxi driver from Badaun in Uttar Pradesh dreaming about returning home to
meet his wife, but never saves up enough to return home. He went on to act in several notable
[18]

films such as Satyajit Ray's Shatranj Ke Khiladi (Chess Players) (1977), Noorie (1979), Chashme
Buddoor (1981), Umrao Jaan( 1981), Bazaar (1982) Saath Saath(1982), Rang
Birangi,(1983) Kissi Se Na Kehna (1983) Ek Baar Chale Aao(1983) Katha (1983) Ab Ayega
Mazaa (1984) Salma (1985) Peechha Karo (1986) Biwi Ho To Aisi (1988) And Maya
Memsaab (1993) . He formed a successful pair with Deepti Naval. He also did a slightly negative
role in Katha.
He was paired opposite Shabana Azmi in Sagar Sarhadi's Lorie, Kalpana Lajmi's Ek Pal and
Muzaffar Ali's Anjuman (1986) and then in the play Tumhari Amrita. His onscreen pairing with
[19]

Deepti Naval was very popular with audiences, and they worked as a pair in nine films such as
Noorie, Chashme Buddoor, Katha, Saath Saath, Kissi se Na Kehna, Rang Birangi, Ek Baar
Chale Aao, Biopic Hasrat Mohani, Maya Memsaab, Tell Me Oh Khuda, Faasle, Listen...
Amaya And Club 60 . [20]

In 2002, in an interview with the Times of India Shaikh said, "I have never been commercially
viable: People recognise me, smile and wave at me — but I have never received marriage
proposals written in blood. In his heyday in 70s and 80s, when Rajesh Khanna drove down a
street, the traffic stopped — I don't mind not receiving this kind of adulation. But I do miss not
having been able to command the kind of work I wanted which Khanna could always do. I miss
not being 100 per cent commercially viable like him." [21]

In the 1990s, he acted in fewer films and made his last film appearances in Saas Bahu Aur
Sensex (2008) and Lahore (2009), for which he won the 2010 National Film Award for Best
Supporting Actor. His last film as the leading man was Club 60 (2013).He played the role of
Ranbir Kapoor's father in his last performance in the movie Yeh Jawaani Hai
Deewani (2013).The film got released in May, and we lost the gem in
December.Realbollywood.com said on his performance in the film: "As a grieving father who
won't allow his loss to be forgotten, he hits all the right notes treading that thin line between the
melancholy and maudlin with majestic grace." [22]

In the late 90s, Farooque Shaikh acted in a number of television serials. He played Hasrat
Mohani in Kahkashan - Hasrat Mohani, a biopic on the great poet and freedom fighter Hasrat
Mohani in 1988 with Deepti Naval playing his wife. Other than that Aahaa on Zee, Chamatkar on
Sony and Ji Mantriji on Star plus are a few notable success. He also worked in the famous TV
serial Shrikant which aired on Doordarshan from 1985 to 1986. This show was an adaptation
of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel. Shaikh also had a cameo in Life OK's Do Dil Ek Jaan,
where he was seen as the heroine's father in the initial episodes.
He compered the Binny Double or Quits Quiz contest, which was telecast over Vividh Bharati. He
also performed on stage in famous plays such as Tumhari Amrita, directed by Feroz Abbas
Khan, featuring Shabana Azmi. A sequel to this play was staged in India in 2004 titled Aapki
[23] [24]

Soniya, with Farooque Shaikh and Sonali Bendre as main leads. Tumhari Amrita completed its
[25]

20-year run on 27 February 2012. He directed Aazar Ka Khwab, an adaptation of Bernard

[26]

Shaw’s Pygmalion in 2004. [27]

He had been the host of the popular TV show Jeena Issi Ka Naam Hai, in which he interviewed
many Bollywood celebrities. His sense of humour and direct humble approach was the USP of
the show.
What is less known about Farooque Shaikh is his contribution to the UNICEF polio eradication
programme. He made several extensive trips to two polio-endemic states, Bihar and Uttar
Pradesh, and worked closely with its programme teams who were working with communities to
get greater acceptance of the polio vaccine.