Veteran actor-filmmaker Ramesh Deo died on Wednesday night at a Mumbai hospital due to cardiac arrest. The 93-year-old had featured in more than 250 Hindi films and nearly 200 Marathi movies, in a career spanning six decades.

As his son, actor Ajinkya Deo, was preparing for the final rites that took place on Thursday, he spoke briefly to us on a call: “He lived a king-size life — full of energy and enthusiasm. On Wednesday, at 6 pm when I was with him, he was quite in his spirits. Then, in an hour, everything deteriorated and he was gone.”

His Hindi film outings included Anand (1971), Mere Apne(1971), Aap Ki Kasam (1974) and Dream Girl (1977), among others. One of his most popular roles was in filmmaker Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s 1971 classic Anand.

Ramesh was also a television veteran. He also produced feature films, turned director, backed TV shows and over 250 ad films.

Ajinkya, who starred in Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (2020), adds that they are celebrating the legacy his father has left behind. “Instead of saying we are saddened by his demise, I would like to say that we celebrate his life in full glory, the way he celebrated it and the way he would have wanted us to celebrate,” he says.

The veteran had celebrated his birthday on January 30. Although he “was not keeping well”, his family met and had a “quiet” celebration. “He had the vigour to live till 100. He wanted to do that, we hoped he would.”

On a parting note, Ajinkya mentions that he is “grateful to be his son and carry on his name”. “He made me what I am. Even if I achieve 5% of what he has achieved, it will be a notable achievement for me,” he concludes.