Farooq Sheikh would have turned 70 today, Google reminds us with a movie poster-style doodle. Reminiscent of the hand-painted posters of the 1970s, the doodle depicts Sheikh’s evolution from the wide-eyed romantic hero in the Rekha-starrer “Umrao Jaan” to the familiar household television figure in 1990s.
A versatile actor, the Gujarat-born Sheikh is, however, noted for depicting the common man on screen. His debut in M.S. Sathyu's “Garm Hava” impressed legendary director Satyajit Ray so much that he offered Sheikh a role in his 1977 movie “Shatranj ke Khiladi”. The movie's producer Suresh Jindal remembers Sheikh as a “bada gentleman aadmi” (a gentleman), disciplined and a dream to work with.
With his flawless performances, Sheikh brought out the anxieties of the middle class urban youth in Muzaffar Ali’s “Gaman” and in Sai Paranjype’s “Katha”. His characters with grey areas, like the headstrong urban youngster high on hormones in “Chashme Buddoor” or the ruthless businessman in “Saath Saath”, also stood out from the crowd. In one of his recent movies “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani”, Sheikh melts your heart as Ranbir Kapoor’s father who shows him the importance of family without shackling him.
Sheikh was a progressive, not just as an actor, but also as a person. He was also one of the first Muslim lead actors to retain his real name on screen. He was never concerned about losing out on audiences because of the name. In fact, it was as Yusuf in “Noorie” that he made his way into popular imagination.
An avid theater artist, Sheikh worked in many plays with IPTA, and was best known for playing Zulfi in “Tumhari Amrita”. Shabana Azmi, whom he was paired with in the play, once said that Sheikh and Zulfi were very similar — a friend in need, a motivator, and at the same time somebody who knew his boundaries. On several occasions when the play was staged for humanitarian causes, Sheikh sacrificed his remuneration and persuaded the director Feroz Abbas Khan to do the same.
Actor Deepti Naval, one of Sheikh’s frequent collaborators, describes him as a constant part of her life. “When I think back, I wonder… we did eight or nine films, we could have done another 10. He was very well-read and knew current affairs. And was very, very fond of shayari. The last film I did with him was ‘Listen... Amaya’,” she said.
Sheikh was equally appreciated for his radio quiz programmes as for his anchoring in Doordarshan’s “Yuvadarshan” and “Young World”. Known for his impish humour, his interviews with celebrities were a treat for the audience; his command over Urdu, especially Dakkhani Urdu, was an icing on the cake.
An avid foodie, his friends recall that he always knew the best dishes in a city and where to find them.
Sheikh won the National Award for Best Supporting Actor for portraying coach S.K. Rao in the 2010 movie “Lahore”. He died of a heart attack in Dubai on December 28, 2013.