The film and television industry is mourning the loss of veteran actor Satish Shah, who passed away on October 25, 2025. His final rites were performed in Mumbai, where many of his close friends and colleagues came to bid him farewell. Among them was Naseeruddin Shah, who shared a heartfelt tribute — a mix of admiration, grief, and criticism of the very industry they both served for decades.
Remembering his friend, Naseeruddin wrote, “He had a wonderful sense of humor — his laughter could brighten any place.” But alongside this affectionate remembrance, Naseeruddin also expressed disappointment at how Bollywood treated an actor of Satish Shah’s calibre.
He said the Hindi film industry “typecast” Satish Shah, reducing a deeply talented actor into just a comic figure. “Despite his deep understanding of acting, remarkable timing, and versatility, Satish was confined to comedy — and perhaps accepted that too easily,” he remarked.
Why Naseeruddin called Bollywood “Follywood”
In his emotional note, Naseeruddin Shah referred to the Hindi film industry as “Follywood” — a term that immediately caught attention. Explaining his choice of words, he said, “I wonder if Follywood serves some dark purpose by typecasting actors. It’s strange how people with great potential are limited to certain roles, while others with far less talent are celebrated endlessly.”
Through this statement, he criticized the superficiality and repetitive nature of the Hindi film ecosystem, where actors are often boxed into specific genres and denied opportunities to grow.
“He chose a safe path — that was his way of life”
Naseeruddin Shah also reflected on Satish Shah’s personal choices. “He was a brilliant actor who had so much more to offer cinema,” Naseeruddin said, “but he chose to play it safe. That was his decision — and his comfort zone.”
Recalling their early days, he shared how he first met Satish at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). “He was a year junior to me, and I first saw him at the cricket nets — agile, confident, full of energy,” Naseeruddin remembered. The two later worked together in the cult classic Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, and later, Shah’s wife Ratna Pathak Shah went on to share screen space with Satish in Sarabhai vs. Sarabhai, forming a close friendship.
