Anupam Kher recalls conversation with Satish Kaushik hours before his death
Actor Anupam Kher recently hosted a musical night to remember his late friend Satish Kaushik on his birth anniversary.
The event also consisted of stories to celebrate Satish. The host for the night welcomed celebrities including Anil Kapoor, Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azami, Rani Mukerji, and Johnny Lever.
Anupam cried, on stage, while speaking at the event. Anil, who sat in the audience next to Rani Mukerji, also cried bitterly. Anupam remembered Satish, “Satish passed away but our friendship has survived all ups and downs and has seen the most amazing gift has given to us. Anil has prepared a small audio-visual for Satish, we will see that. Then I will request Anil to come and talk.”
Anil gestured continuously that he won’t go on stage. Anupam told him, “You will have to come. No no, you have to come. That’s okay. I’m also dealing with it. I can’t deal with it alone.”
Anupam continued, “(He was) underrated sometimes, but he was so brilliant. He never decided to market himself. He was amazing.” He then asked Anil to join him on stage, “Heroes always cry, come and friends cry.” However, after walking a few steps, Anil broke down, gestured with his hand that he won’t be able to join Anupam on stage, and returned to his seat. Anupam said, “Aaja (Come). Okay.” As he too started crying, Anupam said, “Anil tu pagal hai. Main theek thaak jaraha tha (Anil you are mad. I was going fine).”
Anupam said, “On the 9th, 7th he came on my birthday, he called me up, maine kaha, ‘Tu bohut thaka hua sound karraha hai’ (I said, ‘You sound very tired’). Kyu aesa karraha hai? Tu aesa kar hospital mein chala ja, check-in kar, don’t admit yourself, go and check in’. Toh usne kaha, ‘Don’t worry, main abhi marne waala nahi hoon’ (Why is that so? Go to the hospital and check-in. He said, ‘Don’t worry, I am not going to die’). And after three hours he, unfortunately, left us.”
Actor Shabana Azmi also talked about Satish. Talking to the late actor’s daughter Vanshika, she said, “When you made the Instagram videos, he used to be so proud of you. He used to always say, ‘See my daughter’. So, Vanshika, I promise to you today, what your father wanted for you, I will do it till the extent I can.”
Satish Kaushik died on March 8 following a cardiac arrest in New Delhi. Anupam Kher first broke the news of his death on social media. Since then, Anupam has posted several videos and notes in memory of his friend and shared how he is trying to heal from this loss and coming to terms with the reality.