Veteran actor Saeed Jaffrey passed away. He delighted his fans from all over the world with his masterful screen presence and performances. He was 86 and suffering from age-related ailments.
The news of Jaffrey’s demise was shared on Facebook by his niece Shaheen Aggarwal who wrote, ‘Today, a generation of Jaffreys has passed away. Saeed Jaffrey has joined his brothers and sister and is rejoicing in the lap of his Heavenly Father, eternally.’
He was married to co-actress and travel writer Mehrunima (Madhur Jaffrey), but they parted ways in 1965. Together they have three daughters Meera, Zia and Sakina – who is also an actress.
Indian Prime Minister’s Office also tweeted about Saeed Jaffrey’s demise.
“Saeed Jaffrey was a multifaceted actor whose flair & versatility will always be remembered. Deepest condolences on his passing away: PM”
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 16, 2015
About Sayeed Jaffrey
Sayeed Jaffrey
- Saeed Jaffrey, (8 January 1929 – 15 November 2015)
- He was an Indian-born British actor who appeared on radio, stage, television and film.
- A gifted mimic and fluent in several languages, he appeared in numerous British, American and Indian movies.
- He was considered to be Britain’s highest-profile Asian actor in the 1980s and 1990s.
- He played an instrumental part in bringing together film makers James Ivory and Ismail Merchant and acted in several of their Merchant Ivory Productions films such as The Guru (1969), Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie’s Pictures (1978) and The Deceivers (1988).
- In 1995 he was named an honorary Commander of the British Empire in recognition of his services to drama, the first Asian to receive this honour.
- In 1998 he released his memoirs Saeed: An Actor’s Journey, writing frankly about his life from its origins in Punjab under the British Raj to his ascent as a high-profile Asian actor in Britain.
Filmography
His film credits include:
- The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
- Shatranj Ke Khiladi (The Chess Players) (1977)
- Gandhi (1982)
- A Passage to India (1965 BBC version and 1984 film)
- The Far Pavilions (1984)
- The Razor’s Edge (1984)
- My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)
He has also appeared in many Bollywood films in the 1980s and 1990s. For television he starred in:
- Gangsters (1975–1978)
- The Jewel in the Crown (1984)
- Tandoori Nights (1985–1987)
- Little Napoleons (1994)
He also appeared as Ravi Desai on Coronation Street and in Minder as Mr Mukerjee in Series 1 episode The Bengal Tiger.
