Ravi Baswani sophisticated comedian dies at 63
Ravi Baswani, the 63-year-old Bollywood actor, passed away after suffering a massive heart attack in Shimla on Tuesday. He was responsible for bringing a fresh dose of comedy in the Hindi films and sophistication to the craft.
when comedy often meant either slipping on banana peel or running on the streets in underwear, Ravi, in the Bollywood of 80s, displayed a great sophisticated sense of comedy in films like Sai Paranjpe’s “Chashme Buddoor” (1981) and Kundan Shah’s “Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro” (1983). These films got both critical plaudits and success at box office. The film’s director Kundan Shah said. “His was a crucial casting (for Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro). He even helped Naseeruddin Shah flesh out his character,”
Baswani played Jai in “Chashme Buddoor”, a college student rather looking desperately for a girlfriend. His talkative eyes imbued the part with credibility keeping the humor intact. Baswani formed a wonderful comic team with Naseeruddin in “Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron”, both playing professional photographers. there were no antics or mimics from Baswani but he still managed to tickle the funny bone. He won the Filmfare Award for the best comedian for the role. In “Ab Ayega Maza” (1984), Baswani was outstanding as foreign-returned guy with a funny accent. His lines — Dharmendra kidhar rehte hain-was humorous and tickled funny bones of the audiences.
