On December 28, 2013, veteran actor Farooq Shaikh departed from this life. Veteran actor Shabana Azmi wrote a heartfelt note on the tenth anniversary of his passing, reflecting on her time spent working with him. “Ten years…,” she wrote on Instagram. I vividly recall performing Tumhari Amrita for the final time in front of the Taj Mahal on December 14. Having played there for 22 years, I said that we will never find a venue quite like the Taj and that this should be our last performance there.”
In the post, Shabana attached a photo of Farooq. “Pat came to your reply, ‘Why should we pull the curtains on Tumhari Amrita – we will do it for another 22 years!'” the speaker continued. After 14 days, you were gone, taking with you a close friendship that spanned 40 years. With Zulfi gone, I will never be able to play Amrita again. Firkee, I miss you.” Notably, Feroz Abbas Khan directed the well-known play “Tumhari Amrita,” in which Shabana Azmi and Farooq Shaikh co-starred. The play “Love Letters” by A.R. Gurney has been adapted into Hindi. It centres on the characters Zulfikar Haider (Farooq Shaikh) and Amrita Nigam (Shabana Azmi), who exchange letters throughout the years to share their happiness and sorrows.
In the 1973 film ‘Garam Hawa,’ Farooq made his major screen debut alongside Balraj Sahni in a supporting role. Later on, he starred in numerous films, including “Noorie,” “Chashme Buddoor,” “Umrao Jaan Biwi Ho To Aisi,” and many more. In addition, the late actor hosted the first season of “Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai” on television. For his performance in the sports movie “Lahore,” he was awarded the 2010 National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor. Shabana’s upcoming film is titled “Bun Tikki.”
