Vikram Gokhale: Genuine respect for Farooque Shaikh as a human being

"There are hardly any people in the film industry who say good things behind a fellow artiste's back. Farooque Shaikh was one of them."
Veteran actor Vikram Gokhale wants people to know that he feels genuine respect for Shaikh as a human being, not just as professional.

READ: Bollywood celebs mourn Farooq Sheikh's death
Shaikh Sahab's 67th birth anniversary will be observed on Wednesday, March 25.
Gokhale repeats often during the course of the conversation, "Farooque Sahab was one of the finest actors our country has produced.He was an intelligent actor. Unfortunately, he did not get the proper recognition he deserved, maybe because he did not reach out and network with the industry. I think he did not engage any PR agency nor did he do any PR himself. Otherwise there was no reason (for producers and directors) to ignore a fine artiste of his calibre. In this profession it is important to have good PR."
Gokhale met TOI at the studios of Doordarshan in Worli, which is where Shaikh Sahab had started his professional career as an anchor for youth programmes. By coincidence, both artistes forged ties with Doordarshan around the same time in the early 1970s. In another similarity, Shaikh acted in a film named Mahananda in Hindi which Gokhale had done in Marathi before.

The only time they worked together was for DD's telefilm Hindola (1992), a creative classic by any yardstick.
Gokhale says, "I remember Farooque Sahab as a subtle, soft spoken person. He relied on subtlety to convey the context. I have seen his nuances in acting -- so powerful. Be it an anchor on television or staging the play doing Tumhari Amrita or performing in films and of course during Hindola. I did not see all his films, but in each one that I did, I noticed his fine qualities. His performances had several layers. He carried himself with typical grace."
In Hindola, the two did not have any scenes together but they did meet during the course of the 17-day shoot in Goregaon's Moon Villa. The film made a tremendous impact not just on viewers but also those among the film industry who saw it. "Shabana Azmi happened to be on the same flight as me from Delhi or Indore, I forget which one, and she came up to say she had appreciated my performance. I play a painter in the film. She said she recognized me merely by the introductory close-up of my hand as I was sketching."
Shaikh Sahab was among the first to congratulate Gokhale when he won the National Award for the Marathi picture Anumati mid-2013. "And he meant it, he was genuine. He would always greet, wish, congratulate people. He was a connoisseur of good things, sensible things. We respected each other. Mr Bachchan, Tabu, and Farooque Sahab, these are people I respect," says Gokhale.
"Farooque Sahab was a keen observer of things. He had an eye for detail. If he liked something he would heartily compliment you, if he did not like something he would remain silent. He would not criticize. Such a graceful, calm, quiet man. Also very good looking. Having good looks is a gift. Beyond that, he was a powerful performer. I really feel he did not get his due.
Farooque Sahab would never do a film merely because it was a big banner, or it would likely become a box office hit, or to make money and increase his wealth, or even to become famous."
Gokhale was in America when Shaikh Sahab passed away on December 28, 2013. "As an actor, when I look at Farooque Shaikh, I wish he had lived a longer life. We lost him too soon. There was so much more yet to do. Sixty-five is too soon to go," he says.
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