Like many others who grew up in the 1980s, my first exposure to Satish Kaushik was as Calendar in Mr. India. As the cook in Arun/Mr. India’s (Anil Kapoor) home orphanage, Calendar punched together laugh-outloud comic lines with invaluable life lessons. “Mera naam hain Calendar/ Main toh chala kitchen ke andar/ Ball maango bhaiya haath zara jod ke.” These words, part of a song parody in the film playing out between Arun, Seema (Sridevi) and a bunch of jovial kids, with Calendar delivering this signature punch, remain etched in our minds, hearts and memories even close to four decades later.

Satish Kaushik as Calendar with the cast of Mr. India

Satish Kaushik, playing Calendar, an affable man wearing a beret and suspenders, became the poster boy of Hindi cinema comedy for several decades after, his ability to deliver even a seemingly ordinary line with the correct punch and a poker face, setting him apart from his peers.

Calendar, however, wasn’t the only off-centre name that Kaushik, who passed away on Thursday at age 66 after a heart attack, was known by on screen. In the 1990 film Swarg, directed by David Dhawan, he was called Airport. In Jamai Raja the same year, he was simply called BBC, short for Banke Bihari Chaturvedi. In Andaz, yet another David Dhawan film, his character was called Panipuri Sharma. And few can forget his irrepressible Pappu Pager in Dhawan’s Deewana Mastana, a character that spurred off the genre of the bumbling, comic gangster in Hindi cinema.

His Pappu Pager in Deewana Mastana spurred off the bumbling gangster sub-genre/ character

COMEDY KING

All through the ‘90s, Kaushik was a mainstay of almost every David Dhawan film, mostly being part of an ensemble of comic actors, but always holding his own. The best lines belonged to him, the heroes — mostly Govinda and Anil Kapoor — played off him and most often, he stole the thunder right from under their noses.

With Naseeruddin Shah in Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, for which he also co-wrote the dialogues

But Kaushik’s tryst with comedy had started much before that. Kundan Shah’s cult classic Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983), considered comedic gold, had him in the role of Ashok, assistant to the corrupt councillor Tarneja (Pankaj Kapur), with that scene of Kaushik and Naseeruddin Shah (who played Vinod) conversing over the phone while being in the same room, none of them being the wiser, still counted as one of the best comedy scenes in Hindi cinema. He co-wrote the dialogues of that film, many of which are repeated even today. Everything he did turned to comedic gold, from a throwaway line in Jalwa or as the pointedly named Chanda Mama, an astrologer, in Mr and Mrs Khiladi.

His fun, feisty and affable persona persisted off-screen too. “I’ve shared laughs with him on & off screen. His presence filled a frame. In life too, whenever we met, he brought a smile to my face,” tweeted actor Ajay Devgn on Thursday morning.

DIVERSE RANGE

And yet, Kaushik — whose career was undoubtedly peppered with more comedy roles than others — was much more than an instrument of bringing on laughs on screen. His rich background in theatre made the actor — whose peers in that medium included the likes of Anupam Kher and Neena Gupta, with Kher being his batchmate at the National School of Drama and one of his closest friends — someone who could ace any kind of role. He played serious roles with intensity, carried off villainous parts with aplomb, delivered his lines in every conceivable twang and tenor.

With actor Anupam Kher, one of his closest friends for 45 years

In short, he consistently brought a special something — a signature, a stamp, a gesture that remained memorable, a line that was repeated even many years later — to every part that he played. His Willy Loman in the Hindi drama Salesman Ramlal, an adaptation of Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, remains one of his best yet.

“Main basically comedian nahin tha. Asal mein mujhe toh woh slot mein daal diya gaya aur usko maine khushi se accept kiya aur nibhaya aur usme successful hua...”, he had said in an interview a few years ago.

Most of the condolences that have poured in from his co-stars since his sudden demise not only count him as someone who was a generous co-actor, but also as one whose presence in every scene was an educative experience. “Thank you for being a kind and generous co actor, thank you for being a silent teacher,” tweeted Riteish Deshmukh.

BEHIND THE CAMERA

Kaushik was as much a force behind the camera — albeit silently, and true to his nature — as he was in front of it. One isn’t quite sure if he became a director by default, stepping into both Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja (1993) and Prem (1995) when Shekhar Kapur walked out of both projects. The former was a big-budget heist film, starring Anil Kapoor and Sridevi, that flopped miserably, causing immense losses to producer Boney Kapoor.

However, the Kapoors — who counted Kaushik as one of their own — handed over the reins of the reincarnation drama Prem (which launched their youngest brother Sanjay Kapoor along with Tabu as the leads) to Kaushik. Prem didn’t do well too, but Kaushik — given his honesty, earnestness and integrity — was never made the fall guy.

Kaushik as director, however, did taste success with his next few films — Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hain and Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hain, both with Anil Kapoor as their leading man — with Tere Naam, in what is considered one of Salman Khan’s best-ever performances — bringing him both critical acclaim and commercial success.

SUCCESSFUL ACROSS MEDIUMS

Kaushik had the rare ability to leave a mark in every medium he worked in. The digital boom brought along opportunities that he grabbed with both hands. He was a very important part of the ensemble success of Scam 1992, pulled off a memorable part in Guilty Minds and in last year’s Thar — Anil Kapoor for company — he brought his familiar poignancy and comic timing to a part that seemed tailor-made for him. Kaushik’s last projects in film (Emergency) and streaming (Guns & Gulaabs) are scheduled to release this year.

With Anil Kapoor, his co-star in many films and a close friend, in last year’s Thar

GEM OF A MAN

Even as one looks back at his work and life, it’s difficult to pinpoint whether Kaushik was a bigger human or a bigger actor. His peers and many generations after are full of stories of his quick wit and hearty laugh, a joke often delivered with a twinkle in the eye and a hand and hug forever extended with warmth. He was also a friend who would be there to lend support, silent or otherwise, when needed the most.

In her autobiography Sach Kahun Toh, Neena Gupta spoke about her long friendship with Kaushik, and revealed that when she became pregnant with cricketer Vivian Richards’s child, Kaushik suggested to her that she pass the child off as his after getting married. Neena was unmarried at the time, and was anticipating backlash with the announcement of her pregnancy. According to the book, Kaushik told her, “Don’t worry, if the child is born with dark skin, you can just say it’s mine and we’ll get married. Nobody will suspect a thing.”

In an interview shortly afterwards, Kaushik spoke about the situation, and said that he and Neena had been friends since 1975, and that only a few people knew about her pregnancy. He said that he offered to help because he didn’t want her to be alone.

“I was concerned about not letting her feel alone. At the end of the day, that’s what friends are for, right?” He said that his offer to marry her ‘was a mix of humour, concern, respect, and support’, and that he told her, “Main hoon na, tu chinta kyun karti hain?”

A gem of an actor, a gem of a person. Rest in peace and thank you for the magic.