DUBAI // Tributes have been paid to the Bollywood actor Farooq Sheikh, who died after suffering a heart attack on holiday in Dubai. He was 65.
“He was one of the rarest of his kind because he was an extremely gentle soul,” said Renu Singh, a friend of Sheikh since college who runs an event management company in Dubai and helped to stage his play, Tumhari Amrita, in the city last year.
“He reached out to even the common people. He was very down to earth and was very kind.
“His family is in a state of shock. They are just numb now.”
Sheikh came to Dubai this month to moderate I Am Asha, a show to celebrate 70 years of Bollywood cinema, with the Indian singer Asha Bhonsle. He was joined on stage by the actress Rekha. Sheikh went back to Mumbai, but returned to Dubai last week on holiday with his wife and daughter.
He suffered a fatal cardiac arrest on Friday.
Sheikh’s body is expected to be repatriated on Sunday. “The family has already got in touch with us,” said a spokesman at the Indian consulate. “Whenever they want to approach the consulate and complete the process, it will done.”
Born on March 25, 1948, Sheikh, a lawyer by training, made a tremendous contribution to Indian theatre, cinema and television over four decades. He began his acting career in plays and made his debut in Indian cinema in 1973 with the classic Garam Hawa, set in post-partition India.
It was his performance in films such as Shatranj Ke Khiladi, Chashme Buddoor, Kissi Se Na Kehna, Noorie, Bazaar, Saath Saath and Umrao Jaan that catapulted him to fame.
The unassuming actor touched the hearts of millions of Indians with roles that reflected the common man’s travails. Known for his comic timing, Sheikh performed in a range of films from comedy to classics and romance.
“He was one of the finest actors we had,” said the actress Deepti Naval, who was Mr Sheikh’s co-star in several films.
Sheikh’s performances stood out amid Bollywood potboilers and he was known for his immense contribution to parallel cinema in the 1970s and 1980s.
He worked with legendary directors such as Satyajit Ray, Muzaffar Ali, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Ketan Mehta. Sheikh has also acted in many TV serials and shows and performed on stage in famous plays such as Tumhari Amrita, alongside the actress Shabana Azmi. The play completed 20 years last year and was performed in Dubai last year.
In 2004, he stepped into the director’s seat for Azhar Ka Khwab, an adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion.
He has hosted popular shows on television such as Jeena Issi Ka Naam Hai, in which he interviewed Bollywood celebrities. Sheikh brought a keen sense of humour and a humble approach to the show.
He returned to acting in films in 2008 and continued to do so until his death. Recently, he acted in films such as Saas Bahu Aur Sensex and Tell Me O Khuda. His films this year included Club 60, Listen Ameya and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. Sheikh was awarded the 2010 National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for Lahore.
Indian expatriates were shocked to hear of Sheikh’s death. “He was the last of an era,” said Narayanan Nair, 52, operations manager at a chemicals company.
“They don’t make his kind of movies any more, it all commercial now. It’s a big loss for the industry. He was a true artist, nowadays there are no people of that calibre in movies.”
Mr Nair remembers Sheikh best in the 1981 romantic comedy Chashme Buddoor. “He was one of three students at Delhi University trying to court the same girl. He didn’t do blockbusters, he did art. I’ve seen most of his films.”
“I was shocked to hear of his death,” said Shiv Kumar, 55, who runs a logistics company in Jebel Ali. “You will never find another Farooq Sheikh.”
Mr Kumar was most fond of the 1979 drama Noorie. “I’ve also seen him on stage in many of his plays, but unfortunately I missed his last appearance in Dubai. I was in India. He had a unique identity on the stage, much better than what you see in his movies.
“I met him and got to talk to him and take a photo with him on one of his visits to Dubai. He was a very down to earth person, not like these Bollywood actors you see today.
“I wanted to know if he was starting a drama troupe in Dubai, as my daughter loves acting, but I didn’t get a straight answer from him.”
Sheikh is survived by his wife Rupa Jain and their daughters Rubina, Shaista, and Sanaa.
pkannan@thenational.ae
malkhan@thenational.ae
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
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MAIN CARD
Bantamweight 56.4kg
Abrorbek Madiminbekov v Mehdi El Jamari
Super heavyweight 94 kg
Adnan Mohammad v Mohammed Ajaraam
Lightweight 60kg
Zakaria Eljamari v Faridoon Alik Zai
Light heavyweight 81.4kg
Mahmood Amin v Taha Marrouni
Light welterweight 64.5kg
Siyovush Gulmamadov v Nouredine Samir
Light heavyweight 81.4kg
Ilyass Habibali v Haroun Baka
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
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STAY%2C%20DAUGHTER
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Results
Stage 7:
1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29
2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time
3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious
4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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The%20specs
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Need to know
The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours.
The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.
When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend are January-February and September-October. Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.
Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.
Results
Stage seven
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 3:20:24
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 5s
General Classification
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 25:38:16
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 22s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 48s
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
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