Farooq Sheikh, a soft-spoken, gentle, and classy actor who always remains underrated, was born on 25 March 1948 at Amroli, a village 90 km off Vadodara, Gujarat, India.
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Farooq Sheikh made his debut with MS Sathyu’s well-known Partition film Garm Hawa in 1974, where he played the rebellious young man Sikandar.
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Farooq starred in Muzaffar Ali’s “Gaman” in 1978 and acted as the migrant Bombay taxi driver from Badaun in Uttar Pradesh, hoping to return to meet his wife but never saving up enough to return home.
He also did Satyajit Ray’s “Shatranj Ke Khiladi (1977),” before his breakthrough in commercial cinema came in 1979, when he was cast in Yash Chopra’s “Noorie, directed by Manmohan Krishna. The innocence and vulnerability of the characters portrayed by Sheikh and the young Poonam Dhilon (her first film as a leading lady) pulled the crowds to the halls and Farooq Sheikh captured their hearts. The music of Khayyam was like a healing touch, full of romance and melody.
In 1981, he came before the audiences as Nawab Sultan in Muzaffar Ali’s “Umrao Jaan,” who is in love with Umrao’s beauty and her poetry. It was an effortless performance in a heroine-dominated film.
In 1981, Farooq Sheikh charmed us as Siddharth in Sai Paranjpye’s blockbuster, Chashme Baddoor. The film, a golden jubilee hit, beautifully captures the lives of three pals sharing a rented place in South Delhi. Packed with laughter, it showcased Sheikh’s innate sense of humor. His impeccable comic timing and the ability to deliver amusing lines with a straight face greatly enhanced his performance. This movie not only entertained but also highlighted Sheikh’s versatility.
In 1982 came Sagar Sarhadi’s “Bazaar,” which saw Sheikh as the poor Hyderabadi boy Sajju in love with Shabnam, played by Supriya Pathak. Both Sheikh and Pathak moved audiences greatly in a film with actors like Smita Patil and Naseeruddin Shah.
The power of Sheikh’s art lay in his artlessness, warmth, and simplicity; his films with Deepti Naval are a fine example of these qualities, be it Chasme Baddoor or Saath Saath, Rang Birangi or Kissi se na Kehna; they are just wonderful together.
He goes on to do many such films like “Katha (1983),” “Ab Ayega Mazaa (1984),” “Salma (1985),” “Faasle (1985),” “Anjuman (1986),” “Peechha Karo (1986),” “Biwi Ho To Aisi (1988),” and “Maya Memsaab (1993).”
Farooque Shaikh appeared in several television serials. He played the title role in an episode dedicated to the poet and freedom fighter Hasrat Mohani in the TV series “Kahkashan (1988),” with Deepti Naval playing his wife. He also worked in the famous TV serial “Shrikant,” based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s novel. He also hosted the TV show “Jeena Issi Ka Naam Hai,” in which he interviewed celebrities, which has developed a cult following and is often believed to be the greatest Indian celebrity talk show ever.
He remained active in theatre from his St. Xeviar days to his death; his play “Tumahri Amrita” with Shabana Azmi was one of the longest running plays in India, based on the life of Amrita Shergil, by playwright Javed Siddiqui and directed by Feroz Abbas Khan.
Farooque Shaikh died of a heart attack in the early hours of 28 December 2013 in Dubai, where he was on holiday with his family.
