Rajkumar Santoshi had casted veteran Bollywood comedian Jagdeep in five of his films, including Andaz Apna Apna
BY RAJKUMAR SANTOSHI
It's really sad for me, a personal tragedy. I was always a huge fan of Jagdeep ji. He had worked in my father's (PL Santoshi) film "Hum Panchhi Ek Daal Ke". It had won a National Film Award. We were like a family because of his bond with my father. He used to call dad "Guruji".
ADVERTISEMENT
When I made my first film ("Ghayal") as a director, he played a part in it. But his track had to be removed because of the film's length. He was a college professor in the film. Then I cast him in "Andaz Apna Apna". His comic timing was amazing. I would always think of him while casting for my films. He worked in "Lajja", too. He was also in "China Gate", as one of the heroes.
I cast him in "Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani" too, but then again we had to remove his portions because of the film's length. The deleted scene is there on YouTube. He played a mad scientist. I didn't cast him in (the upcoming film) "Bad Boy", as he was really unwell. He was a very good person. He used to talk with a lot of respect and never criticised anyone. He was not into any sort of politics, which is a rare quality. I was very fond of Jagdeep ji. He was like a devta.
Not many people know but he could do emotional scenes very well. I hadn't shot one with him but he could make people cry too. He was emotionally very rich. He used to love his mom a lot. For him, his mother was everything. He used to get emotional while talking about her. The last we met was around 2011 or 2012, but we stayed connected via calls and messages.
I hope he rests in peace. He was a great comedian on screen and a great human being off the screen. Now we just have his memories, and his movies that will always stay with us.
Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.
Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
