NEW DELHI: Indian movie actor Satish Shah, whose very presence in films such as Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron and Main Hoon Na elicited smiles and many a laugh, has died, The Hindu said on Saturday. He was 74.

The amiable Shah passed away at his residence in Bandra East on Saturday afternoon, Ramesh Kadatala, his trusted aide and personal assistant for over 30 years, said.

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.”

Born on June 25, 1951, Shah was a prominent figure in Indian cinema and television. His career spanned several decades, during which he earned acclaim for his comedic timing in movies such as Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, Maalamaal Hero Hiralal, Main Hoon Na and Kal Ho Naa Ho.

A graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), he initially appeared in parallel cinema movies such as Saeed Mirza’s Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan (1978) and Muzaffar Ali’s 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 (1984), where he portrayed 55 different characters across 55 episodes, and Filmy Chakkar (1995), where he played the character Prakash.

In the early 2000s, he starred in the popular sitcom Sarabhai vs Sarabhai alongside Ratna Pathak Shah, Rupali Ganguli, Sumeet Raghavan and Rajesh Kumar.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2025