MUMBAI, Nov 16 — Veteran Bollywood and British cinema star Saeed Jaffery, who delighted fans all over the world with his masterful screen presence and performances, has died at the age of 86.
According to UK’s The Guardian, news of the actor’s death was shared by his niece Shaheen Aggarwal on her Facebook page yesterday: “Today, a generation of Jaffreys has passed away. Saeed Jaffrey has joined his brothers and sister and is rejoicing in the lap of his Heavenly Father, eternally.”
In a career that spanned more than half a century, Jaffrey made almost 200 screen appearances, including working with British directors John Huston, James Ivory, David Lean and Richard Attenborough. The Guardian also reported that he is better known to Western audiences for his roles in “Gandhi”, “The Man Who Would Be King” and “A Passage to India”.
Jaffrey also appeared on the British small screen in “Gangsters”, “The Jewel in the Crown”, “Common as Muck”, and in 1999, four episodes of “Coronation Street” as shop-keeper Ravi Desai.
According to Huffington Post India, Jaffrey is well-known for his work in Hindi films such as Chashme Buddoor (1981), Masoom (1983), Mashaal (1984), Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985), Ram Lakhan (1989), Dil (1990), Ajooba (1991), and Henna (1991).
Jaffrey was also the first Indian to receive the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his contributions to the dramatic arts.
