The late Satish Kaushik and Shwetaabh Singh in Mirg

Director Tarun Sharma is experiencing mixed emotions as his debut feature film, Mirg, is in the final stages of post-production. While he is excited about the thriller nearing completion, he is heartbroken to not be able to share the joy with Satish Kaushik, who played a pivotal part in the Raj Babbar-starrer. The director says that he spoke to Kaushik only a day before his demise on March 9.

“Satish ji was eager to watch the movie and said, ‘Kuch ready hai toh dikha.’ I promised him that as soon as I completed post-production, I’d show it to him first. I wanted him to watch the film. That wish will remain unfulfilled,” says Sharma.

Mirg, which revolves around a heist gone wrong, has Kaushik play an alcoholic. Considering the late actor was also a prolific writer-director, Sharma recollects how he would go beyond his acting duties. “Satish ji was not an actor who shot his scenes and left. He could visualize where I was going with the narrative, and would discuss camera angles. He was even helping me get music directors on board.”

Kaushik’s years of experience and ability to understand the character’s crux made him a fine actor. The director recalls how the veteran actor added layers to his part. “Satish ji [suggested giving his character] a quarter bottle [of liquor] as a crutch. In any uncomfortable situation, the first thing he’d do is take his bottle out. Such nuances made the character more authentic.”

Sharma adds that he will pay homage to the late actor. “Satish ji will be given special credit in the film’s beginning, as a tribute.”