Asif Basra passes away: B-town celebs mourn the tragic death

Image source: Instagram/@asiftheactor

Bollywood actor Asif Basra passed away at the age of 53 on Thursday, November 12, 2020. The veteran actor, known for his memorable roles in a number of films like Jab We Met, Kai Po Che, and Hichki was found dead at his rented residence in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. The actor died by suicide.

Asif Basra allegedly died by hanging himself with a leash of his pet dog. The incident took place at 11:30 am on Thursday. No suicide note has been recovered. The police are currently investigating the case, Vimukt Ranjan, superintendent of police Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh confirmed to mid-day.

His tragic and sudden death has sent many of his co-stars and directors in shock. Several of B-Town folk mourned his tragic death and paid their condolences. In his over two-decade-long career, Basra played supporting parts in many critically-acclaimed features like Black Friday, Parzania, and Outsourced. However, it was a small-but-memorable role in Imtiaz Ali's romantic comedy Jab We Met that made him a popular face. Basra played the role of a station vendor in Ali's film harassing Kareena Kapoor at Ratlam railway station.

Imitiaz went to memory lane, remembering the good old day with the late actor. Speaking to IANS, the director said, "I remember while making Jab We Met, I wanted an intelligent actor who could convey what I was trying to say and present. I wanted to show two qualities -- lechery and humour -- at the same time through that role. I wanted him to be threatening and funny at the same time. So, for the role, I wanted a special actor who had the mind and the skill to perform. I have known Aasif through theatre in Mumbai. It is what had led me to him many years ago".

Reacting to his death, he said, "For me, Asif is a special part of a special film. He was a fantastic actor. The news of his demise is very shocking and disturbing".

Apart from Jab We Met, the actor found success in Rani Mukherji-starrer Hickhi. The 2018-film saw him play the role of a peon named Shyamlal, and that too in perfection. Siddharth Malhotra, who directed this film, mourned the tragic loss of the actor. Speaking exclusively to mid-day, Malhotra said, "He would often say that he would visit the place to live in the mountains and to escape from Mumbai. Despite being talented, he didn't have an ego. He was also well-read and versed in several subjects. As an actor, he was hungry, and would always try to make a scene better", he said.

Mukesh Chhabra, who had roped in late actor Asif Basra for projects like Kai Po Che and Hostages 2 was shocked by the reports of his death. "He was such a brilliant actor and so energetic. I am still in shock. He was so positive. For every role, he would say, 'if you want to audition me, I am always ready. Whether it was two scenes or three scenes, he used to stand out in every film. His personality was such that he used to leave a mark. He used to improvise too, for he was a spontaneous actor", the director said.

Asif was last seen in web-series Hostages 2. The cast of Hostages 2, including director Sudhir Mishra, mourned his loss. Here's what Mishra tweeted:

Ronit Roy took to his Instagram handle to pen a heartfelt note for his late co-star.

Divya Dutta tweeted:

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta was one of the first ones to share the tragic news on Twitter. He expressed his shock and sorrow about the news. Here's what he tweeted:

Re-tweeting Hansal's tweet, actor Manoj Bajpayee wrote, "What? This is too shocking!! Shot with him just before Lockdown!!! Oh My God!!!"

Anushka Sharma took to her Instagram story and paid her last respects.

Swara Bhaskar said that she was "numb and shocked" upon hearing the tragic news. She wrote:

Rest in peace, Basra sir. You will be missed!

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news