The sudden demise of veteran actor and iconic comedian Satish Shah left everyone shocked. His friends from the industry, along with the Sarabhai vs Sarabhai cast, attended his last rites, which were held on Sunday at the Pawan Hans crematorium in Bandra.
Several videos and photos from the cremation have gone viral, showing celebrities breaking down and getting emotional. Rupali Ganguly was seen crying inconsolably, while Sumeet Raghvan, Rajesh Kumar, and others were visibly emotional.
The cast of the famous sitcom Sarabhai vs Sarabhai has always shared a close bond, more like a family, having been together for over a decade. Their reunions were always nostalgic, warm, and full of laughter. At the cremation, Satish’s co-stars gave him a heartfelt farewell by singing the show’s iconic theme song beside his pyre. The emotional gesture, which was also a tribute to their beloved “Indu,” went viral in no time. While some questioned whether it was appropriate to sing at a cremation ground, most fans found the moment deeply moving and were left teary-eyed.
Deven Bhojani later revealed the reason behind this gesture.
On Sunday, Deven took to Instagram and shared the video of the Sarabhai vs Sarabhai team singing the theme song near Satish’s pyre. He wrote, “May look mad, dark, weird whatever but we always sing this when together & today was not an exception. Felt as if INDU himself insisted and joined us. #RIP #SatishShah ji I am blessed to have directed you in #SarabhaiVsSarabhai. You’ll live forever in our hearts. ”
Another video that went viral showed Tiku Talsania breaking down at the cremation ground, while a reporter continued to question him despite his visible distress. Even after Tiku said that the questions were making him emotional, she persisted. Netizens slammed the reporter for her insensitivity and for forcing a grieving actor to speak about the late Satish Shah.
Filmmaker Farah Khan, who also attended the funeral, was seen getting upset with the paparazzi for recording her. In a clip from the venue, she was talking to Ashoke Pandit when photographers began filming her emotional moment. Expressing her frustration, Farah said, “Bas yeh hi karo tum log (Keep doing this only),” showing her disappointment at the intrusion.
Meanwhile, Ratna Pathak Shah was also caught on camera smiling and interacting with colleagues at the cremation ground, which quickly went viral. The veteran actress was criticised by some for “smiling” at such a solemn event, while many fans came to her defence, explaining that she was meeting the cast after a long time and was simply exchanging a polite greeting.
One user commented, “People commenting here on why Ratna Pathak ji is smiling — have you ever heard of the term ‘coping mechanism’? Every person grieves differently. Please stop judging and spreading negativity.”
Speaking to the media later, Ratna Pathak Shah herself said that Satish should be remembered with a smile, not tears.
Sumeet Raghvan shared a post revealing that Satish’s prayer meet will be held from 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm on Monday, 27 October. The post read, “We gather to celebrate the life and creative spirit of a man whose life has touched hearts, inspired many minds and brought beauty to the film world. Shradhanjali Kriya at Jalaram Hall, Juhu.”
Satish Shah died of renal failure in Mumbai on Saturday. He was 74. The actor collapsed while having lunch at his Mumbai residence on Saturday, his manager revealed. He was rushed to Hinduja Hospital but could not be revived.
