Saturday, July 12, 2025
spot_img

Farooque was part of my career and life: Deepti

Date:

Share post:

spot_imgspot_img

Veteran actress Deepti Naval says the late Farooque Sheikh — the two were a popular pair in films — was a constant part of her professional and personal lives.
On Saturday Deepti woke up to the news that Farooque was no more. He died of cardiac arrest in Dubai late Friday.
“He was not just a constant part of my career but also of my life. Oh God! It’s so hard to believe he’s gone,” said Deepti, who last interacted with Farooque two months ago at the Sharjah Book Fair.
“We worked together for the first time in Chashme Buddoor, and we did 7-8 films together after that. Of these my favourite films are Chashme Buddoor, Saath Saath and Listen…Amaya,” she said.
Deepti remembers the 1981 film Chashme Buddoor, directed by Sai Paranjpye, with special fondness.
“Sai Paranjpye, I, Rakesh Bedi, Ravi Baswani, Saeed Jaffrey… What a team it was! We made a film that just happened. We were all having so much fun while making it. On a flight, I saw the ‘Chashme Buddoor’ remake. It did nothing to me. It had no impact. Watching the remake, I missed the original team even more.
“Now, Ravi Baswani is gone, Farooque is gone. We also did Sai’s ‘Katha’ together where Farooque played this incorrigible flirt. I used to tease him that in Katha he played his real self,” said Deepti. She says Farooque was a big flirt.
“I asked him when we got together for ‘Listen …Amaya’ why he didn’t flirt with me. When I look back at our films together, I find he was very cute and charming. And what a good-looker,” she said.
But she says with her, he had a different rapport. He would always tease her. And he would crack jokes at her expense.
“When we worked together again in ‘Listen….Amaya’ after 26 years, he was still pulling my leg. I said, ‘Ab toh sudhar jao.’ He was adorable. He never changed.
“The only change I saw in him during ‘Listen…Amaya’ was that he would not sit with the rest of the unit after a shot. He would go back to his book. He was always reading,” said Deepti.
Deepti had plans of working with Farooque all over again.  “He had read three of my scripts. He kept prodding me to make those films. After doing Listen…Amaya together we realised how much we missed one another. We wanted to do a play together. Now, we can never work together again,” she said. (IANS)

Previous article
Next article
spot_imgspot_img

Related articles

DRDO and IAF successfully test Astra BVRAAM with indigenous radio frequency seeker from Su-30 Mk-I

New Delhi, July 11: In a significant boost to India's self-reliance in defence technology, the Defence Research and...

Mayank Yadav’s rehab likely to start in coming weeks after undergoing surgery in Christchurch

New Delhi, July 11: Tearaway fast bowler Mayank Yadav is likely to begin his long rehab in the...

Pakistan: 98 killed, 185 injured as monsoon rains wreak havoc

Islamabad, July 11: Torrential monsoon rains and flash floods have claimed at least 98 lives and left 185...

India’s purchase of Russian oil helped bring down global prices: Hardeep Puri

New Delhi, July 11: Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said on Friday that India’s...