To celebrate and remember late actor and director Satish Kaushik’s life, an event was organised in Lucknow recently where renowned script writer and lyricist Javed Akhtar shared memories of the days he spent with the actor-director.

“Satish celebrated Holi at our home in Mumbai just a day before his demise. I was very close to him and he was like a younger brother to me,” said Akhtar.

Remembering the day he had met Kaushik, Akhtar said, “When I met him, he was an assistant director in the film Masoom. I had seen him before in the play Giddh. I saw Satish and asked who he was and I was told that he is a factory worker who also does plays. Later, I found out I was given wrong information. The person I had asked about Satish was his best friend who feared that Satish would get a better work opportunity so he told me that lie.”

Akhtar further added, “Satish was an exceptional person. I have never met a person like him in the industry. There was something so winsome about him and he proved this to whoever he met. You could see the love he got after he passed away. So many people paid their tributes to him.”

Talking about the person that Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja and Tere Naam director was, Akhtar said, “Satish was a simple man, he was smart. He was able to see through everybody. He understood everyone, even those who were his close friends. Unke bhi rang samjhta tha woh. But there was always some kind of forgiveness, large-heartedness and understanding in him. He was always smiling and had a tremendous sense of humour, but behind that there was a very serious and sensitive person. It saddens me that Satish’s story didn’t get completed.”