From One Maestro To Another: Pavan Malhotra, talking with Subhash KmJha, remembers the late Satish Shah.
What is your first memory of working with Satish Shah?
Satish Shah… my first job in Mumbai was as a production assistant. And that’s where I met him for the first time. And then my next job was with Saeed Mirza’s film, Mohan Joshi Haazir Ho. I was production manager there. Naseeruddin Shah and Satish Shah, were playing lawyers, partners. And then I was assistant in Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi.
That was the serial which proved Satish Shah’s versatility?
So, of course, everybody knew he was one of the finest actors we have. But Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi, every episode he was playing a different character. And there were some hundred odd episodes. So, imagine somebody playing in hundred episodes almost, a different character every time. And he pulled it off very well.
In films, he played clownish characters like the one in Main Hoon Na?
In films, I feel that Satish Shah didn’t get his due, he just got stamped as a comedian. And, you know, when you do commercial films, what you really need is a meaty role also, a scene where you can perform. If you talk about Main Hoon Na, a small role, not very lengthy, but the guy, professor hai jo baat karta hai toh thook girti hai, you know. And I used to find it so funny the way he used to do it, you know. The other day, it’s been some time now, three months back, I just happened to be channel scrolling, I saw that one scene and I stood there and I laughed and laughed and laughed.
We hadn’t seen Satish Shah on screen for a long time?
Towards the end, I think he didn’t have much work also. We were not friends really, but we were very good acquaintances. He was a very good actor and one quality I want to tell you about him.
Please tell?
When we were shooting for Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi, I noticed that anybody, no matter who the person is, was allowed to make suggestions to him. He would always say, haan, haan, bol, bol, bol, bol. And I felt his thing is, suno sab ki, kya pata hai, kahaan se kya interesting suggestion aa jaye , karni toh apni hai.
Sadly, he exited unsung?
He’s no more now. Bhagwan unki aatma ko shanti de, swargwaas ho, but he had a good innings. I still feel he could have done better, I mean, he could have done better in the sense that this industry should have used him more, this industry. But I also always say, jo hisse mein hai, wohi milega. So anyway, Om Shanti.
