Mumbai, March 25 – On Wednesday, on the 78th birthday of Farooq Sheikh, award-winning actress Shabana Azmi fondly remembered her "college mate" and late co-star, Farooq Shaikh, recalling their younger days and their decades-long association in theatre.
Shabana Azmi first shared an old picture of the late star on Instagram and wrote a heartfelt message, reminiscing about their time together at St. Xavier's College. She expressed her gratitude for his constant support during exams, recalling how he would ensure her pens never ran out of ink and stood by her whenever she was unwell, even as he teased her endlessly.
She wrote in the caption: "#Farooq Shaikh, my college mate, co-founder of Hindi Natya Manch at St Xaviers, thank you for seeing me through so many exams, filling my pens with ink so I don’t run out during writing, ever present when I was unwell but teasing me endlessly and never saying a kind word. 22 years of travelling the world with me and #Feroz Abbas Khan for the timeless #Tumhari Amrita for 22years. Remembering you on your birthday (sic)."
Farooq Sheikh was best known for his work in Hindi films from 1973 to 1993, and for his work in television between 1988 and 2002.
He returned to acting in films in 2008 and continued to do so until his death on December 28, 2013. His major contribution was in Parallel Cinema or the New Indian Cinema. He worked with directors like Satyajit Ray, Sai Paranjpye, Muzaffar Ali, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Ketan Mehta.
He acted in serials and shows on television and performed on stage in productions such as Tumhari Amrita alongside Shabana Azmi, directed by Feroz Abbas Khan, and presented the TV show, Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai.
Farooque Shaikh died of a heart attack in Dubai in 2013, where he was on holiday with his family.