Saeed Jaffrey

Saeed Jaffrey Biography

Saeed Jaffrey is a Bollywood actor who works for Hollywood films as well. He is always regarded as one among the most talented veteran actors of present times. His best movies are The Man Who Would Be King (1975), Shatranj Ke Khiladi (1977), Gandhi (1982), A Passage to India (1965 BBC version and 1984 film), The Far Pavilions (1984), and My Beautiful Laundrette (1985). He has appeared in numerous films during 80’s and 90’s. He is a successful stage actor and television actor as well. He has acted in Doordarshan serials – Gangsters (1975–1978), The Jewel in the Crown (1984), The Bengal Tiger, Tandoori Nights (1985–1987) and Little Napoleons (1994).

Saeed Jaffrey was born on January 8, 1929 in Malerkotla Punjab. He did his schooling at Minto Circle, S.T High School. He completed his college studies at Aligarh Muslim University, St. George's College, Mussoorie and Allahabad University. He started a Theatre company at Delhi and was given the name – Unity Theatre. He included the works of Christopher Fry, Tennessee Williams, OscarWilde, and Shakespeare in his early plays.

After that he went to Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London to study more about the art of plays. He completed second post-graduate degree in drama from The Catholic University of America also before he returned back. He has starred in many Hollywood projects were actors like Michael Caine and Pierce Brosnan played the leading roles. He was a popular choice of great film makers like Satyajith Ray. He has won the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Shatranj Ke Khiladi directed by Ray. He has also played a role in Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi. He played the role of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in the Oscar award winning movie, Gandhi released in the year 1982.

He has won Filmfare awards only once in supporting role for the movie, Shatranj ke khiladi. He has been nominated two times for Raj kapoor’s Ram teri Ganga maili and Henan directed by Randhir Kapoor, Raj Kapoor’s son and actor. In 1991, he won Best Actor awards at 12th annual Genie Awards, for his performance in the movie, Masala. He is the first Indian to do Shakespeare plays in US.

Jaffrey died from a brain hemorrhage at his home in London on 15 November 2015.

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Updated: July 04, 2018