Veteran comedian Jagdeep passes away at 81

Mumbai: Well-known Bollywood comedian Jagdeep passed away in Mumbai on Wednesday owing to agerelated health problems. He was 81 years old.

Bollywood star Ajay Devgn confirmed the news on social media. “Heard the sad news of Jagdeep Saab’s demise. Always enjoyed watching him on screen. He brought so much joy to the audience. My deepest condolences to Jaaved and all members of the family,” he wrote.

Born on 29 March 1939 as Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed Jafri in Amritsar, Jagdeep acted in over 400 films. He is best known for his role of Soorma Bhopali in Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay (1975). Jagdeep started his career as a child artiste in B.R. Chopra’s 1951 film Afsana, starring Ashok Kumar. As a child artiste he also worked in the Raj Kapoor-produced Ab Dilli Door Nahin”, Guru Dutt’s Aar Paar and Bimal Roy’s Do Bigha Zamin.

Jagdeep’s golden patch would begin with GP Sippy’s 1968 film Brahmachari, starring Shammi Kapoor. His comic role in the film was widely appreciated. Through the seventies, eighties and the nineties, he became a familiar face in Hindi films, essaying the goofy funnyman in film after film. The late actor’s sons Jaaved Jaaferi and Naved Jafri have also made their mark in the entertainment industry.