Mumbai, April 28 (IANS) Veteran stage, television and film actor Salim Ghouse -- who featured in several Bollywood and south Indian movies -- passed away following a cardiac arrest, here on Thursday.
Ghouse, 70, was rushed to the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Versova late on Wednesday but did not recover, his family members said.
Born in Chennai and educated there, he later graduated from the FTII, Pune, and then plunged into theatres.
Known for his roles in "Bharat Ek Khoja", "Wagle Ki Duniya", "Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi" and "Subah", Ghouse enjoyed equal popularity in Bollywood and south India, having acted with some of the biggest stars and banners since his debut in 1978 with "Swarg Nark".
Later, he played notable roles in several award-winning films such as "Chakra" (1981), "Saaraansh" and "Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho!" (both 1984).
He was seen with Shah Rukh Khan in "Koyla", besides playing prominent roles in films like "Mujrim", "Shapath", Kamal Haasan's "Vettri Vizhaa", Mohanlal's "Thazvaram", and "Well Done Abba". He was last seen in the Tamil film "Kaa" (2022).
He gained instant stardom by belting out hits such as "Main Sharabi", "Angrezi beat" and "Lungi dance". Punjabi rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh, who has openly spoken about his struggles with bipolar disorder and alcoholism, says he has emerged stronger after his battles with his demons.
Bollywood has aced the art of uncovering societal issues, and is now mastering the art of taking the audience between the sheets with its stories, being driven by stars like Ayushmann Khurrana, Sonakshi Sinha and Rajkummar Rao.
