Veteran Actor Satish Kaushik's Sudden Death Stuns Bollywood, PM Condoles

Indians woke up on Thursday morning to the shocking news of veteran Bollywood actor/director Satish Kaushik's sudden death. One of his closest friends, long-time actor Anupam Kher broke the news in the morning by tweeting a black and white picture with him and said that life would never be the same after his passing.

The 66-year-old actor is survived by his wife and daughter.

A theater stalwart, Kaushik moved to Mumbai to pursue his acting dreams and carved out a niche for himself in the Hindi film industry as an actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter.

In a career spanning three decades, Kaushik shot to fame for his roles in several hit movies including 'Mr. India', 'Deewana Mastana', 'Ram Lakhan', 'Saajan Chale Sasural' and many others.

In his condolence message, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated he was "pained by the untimely demise ... He was a creative genius who won hearts thanks to his wonderful acting and direction".

Tributes, especially from prominent figures of the Indian film world, started pouring in early this morning.

Calling it a big loss to the Hindi film industry, celebrities like Akshay Kumar, Kangana Ranaut, Suniel Shetty; filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, Shekhar Kapur; and his co-stars Riteish Deshmukh took to social media to offer their condolences over the actor’s death.

Using the hashtag #RIPLegend, several other celebs, including politicians, cricketers, and others paid tribute to the genius for his many remarkable performances.

Netizens took to social media to say that the ever-smiling Kaushik made everyone laugh with his comedy punches, and he would always be remembered as a versatile entertainer who showed acting prowess through different shades of roles in several hit movies.