Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; March 15, 2018)

Narendra Jha’s deep baritone and impressive performances won him appreciation for his work across television as well as films. The 55-year-old actor passed away on March 14 at his farmhouse in Wada after he suffered a massive heart attack. Narendra was at the farmhouse with his wife Pankaja Thakur, former CEO of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

His death has come as a shock to his colleagues in the industry. Manoj Bajpayee said, “Narendra was a versatile actor who suited a variety of roles and he has gone at a time when he was needed the most. Also, he belongs to my home state Bihar and I really appreciate people who come from other states, take the unknown path in films and make it on their own. Narendra was one such guy who made it on his own and was doing good work.”

Filmmaker Rahul Dholakia, who directed Narendra in Raees, told BT, “I can’t believe that he is no more. Why are we losing people so young? First Sridevi and now, Narendra. When we were casting for the role of Musa Bhai in Raees, I wanted an actor with a towering personality, who had a good voice and could hold fort opposite Shah Rukh Khan. He justified the role completely.”

Veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal, who worked with Narendra in Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero and Samvidhaan, shared, “He was a fine gentleman, extremely talented, perfect in his performances and a thorough professional. His performances got better with every film.”

TV actor Amit Behl and Narendra were friends for more than 23 years and had spoken to each other just a day before his death. Amit said, “I can’t believe that he is no more. On Monday when we spoke, he told me that he would visit my home on Gudi Padwa to enjoy the Maharashtrian food my wife cooks. He was a good person and also was one of the finest actors in our industry.”

Narendra’s memorable films include Haider, Hamari Adhuri Kahaani, Ghayal Once Again, Shorgul and the TV shows Begusarai, SuperCops Vs Supervillains and Samvidhaan. He was currently shooting for Salman Khan’s Race 3.
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MID-DAY (March 15, 2018)

Actor Narendra Jha, best known for films like Haider (2014), Raees (2017) and Kaabil (2017), passed away yesterday due to a heart attack. He was 55.

Jha was at his farmhouse in Nanegaon, Maharashtra, when he complained of chest pain, the actor’s driver, Lakshman Singh, said. “He had no health issues and last night (Tuesday), he was fine. He ate properly and spoke to us. Around 4 am today, he felt a chest pain so we took him to a nearby hospital, but everything was over by then,” he said.

Born and brought up in Delhi, 6 ha also worked in Shyam Benegal’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero (2005). He also featured in a play, Samvidhaan, in which he played Mohammed Ali Jinnah. The actor was also signed for the upcoming Salman Khan-starrer, Race3. He is survived by wife Pankaja Thakur, former CEO of the CBFC.

His sudden demise left the film industry in shock as his friends and colleagues said he was hale and hearty, and was geared up to feature in several new projects. Director Awani Agrawal said he was fine while shooting for his film, De Ijaazat Rahun Tujhme, in Gujarat earlier this month. “He was shooting for my movie in Vadodara. He was accompanied by his wife to the location. They left on March 8. He didn’t have any health issue. He was a co-operative and supportive actor, and beautiful person.”