Veteran actor Satish Shah, one of India's most beloved comic performers known for his unforgettable role as Indravadan Sarabhai in the hit sitcom Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, passed away on Saturday in Mumbai. He was 74.
According to family sources, the actor had been battling age and kidney related ailments for the past few months and breathed his last at a suburban hospital early Saturday morning.
Ramesh Kadatala, who has been Shah's personal assistant for over 30 years, said the actor passed away at his residence in Bandra east in the afternoon.
Ashoke Pandit, Shah's friend and industry colleague, also confirmed his demise and said, "It is a huge loss for our industry. He was a very jovial person."
Pandit told NDTV, "With a heavy heart, I want to say that our friend and a very good actor, Satish Shah, died around 2:30 pm today due to kidney failure. His health deteriorated while he was at home, and he was taken to the hospital immediately. Sadly, he couldn't survive. His cremation will take place today. It's a very big loss for the industry. I have worked with him on many projects. I was coming back from Piyush Pandey's last rites when my family informed me about Satish's passing."
Sad and shocked to inform you that well known actor & a great human being Satish Shah has expired an hour ago due to Kidney failure .
October 25, 2025
A great loss to the industry .
Om Shanti
🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/tWpXgwZJTrA graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), he initially appeared in minor roles in films such as "Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan" (1978) and "Gaman" (1979).
He became a household name after he featured in filmmaker Kundan Shah's 1983 cult classic "Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro", playing the role of the corrupt Municipal Commissioner D'Mello.
The film, a satirical comedy on corruption, starred Shah alongside renowned actors like Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, and Pankaj Kapur.
He was also known for his roles in television series such as "Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi" and "Filmi Chakkar".
In the early 2000s, he starred as Indravadan Sarabhai in the popular sitcom "Sarabhai vs Sarabhai" alongside Ratna Pathak Shah, Rupali Ganguli, Sumeet Raghavan and Rajesh Kumar.
Shah also appeared in several mainstream blockbuster films, including Shah Rukh Khan's "Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa", "Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge", "Main Hoon Na", "Kal Ho Naa Ho", "Om Shanti Om" and Aamir Khan's "Fanaa" and "Akele Hum Akele Tum".
He was married to designer Madhu Shah.
(With inputs from PTI)
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