Remembering Farooq Sheikh On His 75th Birthday

Sai  Paranjpye:  “I was very fortunate to have worked in two films Chashme Buddoor and Katha with Farooque. And I cannot tell you  how wonderful he was  to work with.During Katha the banter and the playful one-upmanship between  Farooq and Naseeruddin Shah  the teasing and ribbing between these two stalwarts was so precious. Farouq would say, ‘If Naseer and I are in a shot then it would be Naseer’s back to the camera.’ To this Naseer would retort, ‘Yes, of course ,because my back is more expressive than your face.’ And they would go on like this. It was such a  pleasure to see them together.Farooque was very religious. Every Friday we’d have to relieve him of his work so he could go and pray. But Naseer was not at all  religious.Yet he took his mother on a Haj pilgrimage. Farooque would tease Naseer about this.During the shooting of Chashme Buddoor in Delhi one of our light boys fell from the roof. He had to be hospitalized. Farooq would quietly visit the injured lightman pay for his treatment.He said nothing about his generosity to any of us. He was silent doer.Farooque was an angel. He was God’s child.One always says nice things about the departed. But honestly, even if  Farooque were alive I wouldn’t have a single bad thing to say about him. I’d call him  a big flirt. I’d say, ‘Farooque, kuch toh sharam kijiye.You are flirting with me and you’re flirting with my daughter, just because your mother is not here to see what you are up to.’  He was so sweet, so wonderful.”