Theatre, TV and film actor Rasik Dave passed away on Friday. The 65-year-old actor, who passed away due to kidney failure, was on dialysis for the last two years. His wife Ketki Dave spoke to BT about her husband and how life will not be the same without him. The last few years were tough after the actor was diagnosed with kidney issues.

“Rasik never wanted to talk about his illness. So, we never shared about his deteriorating health with anyone. He was a very private person and believed that all would be fine. But, deep down, we knew that he was not well. In the last few days, he told me how I should always continue working. I was supposed to open a play, and I told him I was not in the state of mind to work, but he kept saying that the show must go on and I should never stop working. Even when he was unwell, he kept saying that all would be fine, and I should not lose hope. Today, I am managing everything bravely because he was by my side all this time. I have my family members, my mother, my children, my mother-in-law and they are all my biggest support, but I miss my husband very much.”

The actress shared how her mother, Sarita Joshi, helped her cope with life in the last two years. “When Rasik was diagnosed with kidney ailment, I broke down. My mother has been my constant and biggest support. She always tells me how one can be in grief, but sorrow should not overcome you. Life has to be lived on its terms and whatever challenges you face, have to be dealt with bravely. Each time I would break down, my mother would say get up and face it, you can’t give up. I am trying to do that today. But life will never be the same again. I will miss Rasik at every point in my life. I have my family members mother, mother-in-law and children but his absence will always be felt,” she said. Rasik was seen in shows like Mahabharat and Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka.

Recounting the time she first met Rasik in 1979 on the sets of a play, Ketki said, “We liked each other instantly. As we worked together in plays and TV shows, we fell in love and got married in 1983. Rasik was a very down-to-earth, stable person, who believed in living life to the fullest. He would never get bogged down by things and would always motivate me to face the ups and downs of life. Even if we had fights, they were healthy because we would work towards resolving them. I can say that 40 years of marriage with Rasik went by happily because he was someone who believed that life has to be lived well.”