(Image Source)
India’s first truly international film artiste, Saeed Jaffrey passed away in London on 15th November 2015 after a long, illustrious and varied film career that spanned decades and continents. Well before the term crossover actor had even been coined, Saeed Jaffrey had been doing roles in English films made in the USA, UK and other countries with élan, sophistication, an effortless charm and wicked wit. Born in 1929 in undivided British India in Malerkotla, Punjab, his was a truly international career that straddled Hollywood and Bollywood with equal aplomb.
Saeed Jaffrey’s Most Memorable Roles
Saeed Jaffrey is best remembered for portrayals such as Mir Roshan Ali, in Shatranj Ke Khilari (his unforgettable portrayal of the idle, dissolute chess-playing nawab), Lallan Miyan in Chashme Baddoor (the delightful seller of paan and dispenser of sage advice), Sardar Vallabhhai Patel in Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi, as Suri in Masoom and as the Nawab of Meerut in the TV series Jewel in the Crown.
He had been instrumental in bringing Ismail Merchant and James Ivory together and starred in several Merchant-Ivory ventures such as The Guru, Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie’s Pictures, and The Deceivers. Saeed Jaffrey is also remembered for his roles in films such as The Far Pavilions, Passage to India, My Beautiful Launderette and many mainstream Bollywood films such as Saagar, Jalwa, Raam Teri Ganga Maili, Raam Lakhan, Dil, Henna, Yeh Dillagi and numerous others. He was able to play an array of roles effortlessly and will be remembered as probably one of India’s most versatile actors.
Saeed Jaffrey’s Other Claims to Fame
Also an accomplished stage actor, he was a part of everything from the Delhi theater scene to Shakespearean play tours in the United States of America. He was the first Indian to receive an OBE from the British Empire and won numerous awards including several Filmfare awards.
This screen grab from the BBC article about the passing of Saeed Jaffrey aptly demonstrates why India mourns this delightful and extremely talented actor’s passing:
(Image Source)
Author: Reena Daruwalla
