If there was one actor who constantly stepped into many territories and broke the shackles of typecasting, it was Satish Kaushik. Give any character to him, he’ll make it his own effortlessly. When I got the news of his demise, it felt like a personal loss – He unknowingly taught me how to dream big. During an interview with him for Kaagaz, I asked him if he got his dues as an actor. To my surprise, Satish Ji replied, “I have worked as an actor in some 150 films, directed 15 big movies, written a few, and did television, I have done everything in my capacity, and getting dues as an actor was long pending. I am telling the casting director and directors to offer me meatier roles. The smaller characters I’ve played have been impactful, but as an actor, I also want bigger roles. This is my hunger as an actor.” He didn’t crib about things.
An alumnus of the National School of Drama and the Film and Television Institute of India, Satish Kaushik was best known for films like Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, Mr India, Deewana Mastana, and Udta Punjab. His most popular films as a filmmaker are Salman Khan starrer Tere Naam and Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai, starring Kareena Kapoor Khan and Tusshar Kapoor, and Kaagaz starring Pankaj Tripathi.
He was stereotyped after playing Calendar in Mr India and similar roles like Pappu Pager came his way but he made the characters memorable. From being an assistant director in Shekhar Kapoor’s Masoom, to directing what was then the most expensive film in Bollywood
In the last few years, Satish Kaushik was finally getting the roles he deserved –Manu Mundra in Hansal Mehta’s Scam 92, Sharmaji Namkeen, Chhatriwali, and Kaagaz, Thar.
Satish Kaushik was not scared of growing competition, in fact, he believed in reinventing himself every day. “At this age, I am trying to reinvent and redefine myself by interacting with younger generations. It’s a great opportunity to work with these young people,” he had said in the interview.
Known for his comic timing, Satish Kaushik never failed to impress the audience. An ever-grateful human being, Satish Kaushik always thanked the almighty for his success. “I feel lucky to get what I wanted. After passing out from the National School Of Drama, I came to Bombay and started working as an actor. I never thought I’ll also become a director, producer, and writer. I’ve got more than what I wanted and I am very happy and proud of myself that I can race with the time and adapt and reinvent with it.”
We have lost not just a good actor but also a hard-working and humble human being. My first vivid memory of him is as ‘Calendar’ from Mr India. Even though it was a side role, Satish Ji made it his own. May his soul rest in peace. There can never be another Satish Kaushik.