Veteran artist Satyajit Shergill, father of Bollywood actor Jimmy Shergill and nephew of famous Hungarian-Indian painter Amrita Shergill, passed away at the age of 90 on Monday, leaving behind a rich artistic legacy. According to reports, The Bhog and Antim Ardas will be held on October 14 at Gurudwara Dhan Pothohar Nagar in Santacruz West, Mumbai.
Drawing early inspiration from aunt Amrita Sher-Gil
Passionate about painting and sculpting since childhood, Shergill found his artistic inspiration in aunt Amrita Sher-Gil, considered the pioneer in modern Indian art. While his earlier career was profoundly impacted by Amrita, he went on to develop his own style of abstract painting.
An avid reader
An avid reader, Shergill immersed himself in the works of legendary artists like Vincent van Gogh, Michelangelo, Amedeo Modigliani, Paul Gauguin, and Henry Moore, among other artists. His reading list reflects his genuine and deep interest in the world of art, that continued to grow with time.
What fuelled his passion for art?
Shergill came from a big Sikh joint family from Deokahia village, Sardar Nagar, Gorakhpur district, Uttar Pradesh that owned distilleries and agricultural land. Surprisingly, he didn’t have art as a subject while studying in Colvin Taluqdars’ College in Lucknow, yet he spent most of his young days on farms sketching and painting. In his initial days, he sketched people of his village and slowly began to evolve his style of painting, a feature on the artist published in Spandan Artbeat Magazine noted.
Back in his hometown, Shergill showcased his work at Lion’s club and other art exhibitions, and was conferred Lalit Kala Academy State Award. He later moved to Mumbai to pursue his artistic ambitions and made his mark among the top artistic circle, as per the report.
Shergill’s bond with son Jimmy and Aman
While Shergill shared a loving relationship with his family – his two sons Aman and Jimmy and he often looked forward to Jimmy’s films, there was a time when he stopped talking to him after the actor cut his hair, shaved his beard, and removed his turban. The veteran artist was deeply angered by his son’s decision and did not speak to him for one and a half year.
“We are from a Sikh family, so my family expressed displeasure over this childishness of mine. At that time, I didn’t know that I would become an actor or do acting when I grew up. Everything just happened on its own,” Jimmy had shared.
