Satish Kaushik
Popular Bollywood actor and director, Satish Kaushik has passed on at the age of 66.
The actor's nephew Nishaan Kaushik confirmed his death, saying the actor suffered a heart attack on Thursday morning, March, in India's capital Delhi.
Satish's best friend, Anupam Kher also took to Twitter to pay tribute to the Bollywood icon, penning: 'I know 'death is the ultimate truth of this world' But I never thought in my dreams that I would write this thing about my best friend #SatishKaushik while alive.
'Such a sudden full stop on friendship of 45 years!! Life will NEVER be the same without you SATISH! Om Shanti!'
Satish achieved international fame after starring in 2007 British drama, Brick Lane.
Born in 1956 in Delhi's Karol Bagh, Satish studied at Kirori Mal College, where he developed his love of theatre.
He went on to study at the National School of Drama before earning a place at the Film and Television Institute of India. He turned to directing in 1993 but his first two Bollywood films, Sridevi's Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja and Prem, were box office flops.
The filmmaker worked on almost 100 films in a long and storied career.
His last film, Kaagaz, was released 2021 and followed the story of a man who is declared legally dead in a government blunder and has to prove his identity.
Satish is survived by his wife Shashi Kaushik. The couple wed in 1985 and welcomed daughter Vanshika via surrogate in 2012. The pair also had a son who tragically died in 1996 at two years old. His cause of death has not been revealed.