After lighting up faces with his impeccable comic timing, the beloved Bollywood comedian Govardhan Asrani (known simply by his stage name Asrani) passed away on Diwali, the Festival of Lights. He leaves behind a legacy of laughter that spans generations. As a matter of fact, when I first broke the news of his passing to my mum, she was quick to recount fond anecdotes of him being a fan favourite among her younger cousins. The older generation especially remembers the funny man as the over the top, self-professed ‘Angrezon Ke Zamane Ke Jailer,’ a character modeled after—and equally as iconic as—Charlie Chaplin’s Adenoid Hynkel from “The Great Dictator.” Bollywood’s ode to the spaghetti Western, “Sholay,” was an early role that cemented Asrani as a household name.
As an early 2000s kid, my introduction to Asrani’s comedic genius was via filmmaker Priyadarshan’s slapstick capers, most notably as the overwhelmed Seth Karodimal in the under-appreciated “Khatta Meetha.” A gag that lives rent free in my head includes his character getting his wires crossed after he’s abruptly distracted by the lead character, Sachin Tichkule (Akshay Kumar) continually pestering him for a loan while he is checking off a list of his inventory. This is all while attending to an urgent phone call regarding what type of curry he’d prefer for his lunch, simultaneously juggling the pleas of another client requiring financial assistance for his ailing mother. Misunderstandings and hilarity ensues. While the witty writing in this scene hits the mark, this quick-paced back and forth would certainly have been lesser without Asrani’s presence. His effortless delivery and a fixed clueless facial expression captured Karodimal’s helplessness and the brilliant situational comedy perfectly.
We’ll Never Forget ‘Sholay’ and ‘Dhamaal’
Later the veteran comedian would further impress fans of the comedy genre, chewing the scenery as a strict dad with a soft spot for vintage cars who constantly belittles his loafing son in the buddy comedy/heist comedy “Dhamaal.” His put-on thick and high-pitched, albeit stereotypical Parsi accent also afforded him space to show off a talent for mimicry. The role itself harkened to bordering on sadistic and comically exaggerated characters in a similar vein to his Jailer from “Sholay.”
Despite brief screen time in the horror comedy “Bhool Bhulaiyaa,” a venture that reunited him with Priyadarshan and his “Khatta Meetha” co-star Akshay Kumar, Asrani still tickled the funny bone as Murari. In a short but amusing scene wherein his character exchanges perplexed-yet-polite smiles with the perpetually grinning eccentric psychiatrist played by Kumar, he proved to be the perfect foil/straight man.
A Treasure Trove of Laugh-out-Loud Moments Lie in Asrani’s Wake
Last but not least, one of his famous throwaway lines—delivered with deadpan perfection—”Acha Hai Main Andha Hu” (transl: Thankfully, I’m blind) from the 2005 comedy “Deewane Huye Paagal” has become a staple among meme pages. After all, there is no better gift for a comedian in contemporary times than being immortalised by Internet culture.
While of late, age catching up and perhaps a lack of good comedy scripts may have slowed him down, there’s no denying the influence of Asrani on film and comedy. He left a treasure trove of laugh-out-loud moments behind for generations to revisit and remember him by.
