Mumbai: With a career ranging from the Hindi film industry to Broadway, from TV soaps to comedy serials, veteran actor Saeed Jaffrey was a versatile and hugely popular actor. He is well-known for his roles in famous movies like Ram Teri Ganga Maili, Gandhi, and many more.
The actor passed away November 15, 2015, leaving behind a huge void in the world of acting. Before kicking off his acting career, he attended many colleges and universities including Aligarh Muslim University, Wynberg Allen School, St. George’s College and the Catholic University of America. In fact, he became Britain’s highest-profile Asian actor during the ’80s and ’90s after playing leading roles in the drama series ‘Tandoori Nights,’ ‘Little Napoleons,’ and ‘The Jewel in the Crown.
Today is the birth anniversary of Saeed Jaffrey; let’s know some interesting facts about him:
– Born in Punjab in 1929, Saeed started his own theatre company in New Delhi. He was the first-ever Asian to be awarded by the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his contribution in the field of acting.
– While working at All India Radio, he met many artists and writers, in fact, he met musician, Ravi Shankar, Khushwant Singh and also his first wife and travel writer, Madhur Jaffrey. In an interview, he revealed that he learned Urdu when he was put in a Muslim school and Hindi when he was at a Hindu school.
– He played many roles that went on to become popular, such as Ravi Desai in Coronation Street and as Mr. Mukerjee in Minder. He is the first Indian to take Shakespearean plays on a tour to the United States.
– From 1951 to 1956, he served as the Radio Director for AIR. He liked to paint and sketch. Some of the directors he has worked for -include Satyajit Ray (The Chess Players), and Richard Attenborough (Gandhi).
– He was a part of the UK’s famous TV show Gangsters for which he earned countrywide appreciation in the United Kingdom. He played a character called Rafiq.
PNN