Memories of Satish Kaushik: and the color splatter on the calendar blurred the picture!!
This news… how would it have been for the other two when one of those three friends left! It hurts just thinking about it. These three friends were Satish Kaushik, Raja Bundela, and Raju Manvani. All three came to Mumbai to work in films and how they spent their film struggle together in a room are very interesting stories. Who used to take money from whose pocket, who used to wear whose shirt…!
Then while struggling for the film, all three went in different directions in search of their own destination. But the thought remained the same! Whenever I met any of these three, the stories remained the same. Today a character in those stories has passed away. Actor, director, and writer Satish Kaushik is no more! Only the stories remain.
Satish Kaushik, who lived life to the fullest, was everyone’s friend. He celebrates the colors of Holi in Mumbai at Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar’s Janaki Kutir home in Juhu. Here Mahima Chaudhary, Richa Chadha, and Ali become a child celebrating Holi with Fazal, then comes out of the image of a comedian posing for photos with Javed Akhtar and come into an intellectual avatar. It is said that death takes it where it is supposed to happen. After playing Holi in Mumbai on 7th March, Holi in Delhi takes them to their place on 8th March where they are going to meet friends who studied together at Kirodimal College. Then they would have reached the other world to see the morning of 9th March! The speed of the heart stopped the speed of his life forever.
Satish Kaushik worked in many films, even though the role was small, and he worked enthusiastically. His last film was ‘Chhatriwali’, even when he directed it, he searched for the characters by drowning. Also wrote and handled the command of casting. He was a good friend of Anil Kapoor. In the concept of ‘Mr. India’, Shekhar Kapur made him the casting in-charge. One role was that of a servant. Satish himself wanted to play a role in the Anil Kapoor, Sri Devi, Amrish Puri starter film. He found the role of a servant close to his heart, which he himself named ‘Calendar’. He used to reject everyone while choosing the actors for this role. When Anil Kapoor came to know that calender was the catchphrase of a person who used to visit his house in his childhood, Anil said – You do it, then the name of the calendar is on the screen. Satish Kaushik got a lot of popularity from this. The actor inside him became strong. He went to work.
Coming from Mahendragarh, Haryana, living with three friends in a shared room, directed films like Banda Tere Naam, Kagaz, Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja, Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai, Prem, Milenge Milenge, Badhaai Ho, Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai Will do, even Satish himself had never thought. Once he had said – “Don’t know how everything happened.” But… ‘Calendar’ did everything with a smile.
This star who found diversity in the colors of life passed away! While playing Holi in the cities of my dreams, Mumbai and Delhi, I could not handle the colors scattered above. The specks on the calendar have blurred the picture of his life today. 
