Satish Kaushik Fell Ill At Delhi Farmhouse, Died Soon After

Actor-director Satish Kaushik was at a farmhouse in Delhi's Bijwasan last night when he started feeling unwell and was rushed to a hospital in Gurugram. Preliminary examination suggests that he died of a heart attack and breathed his last before he reached the hospital, police sources said.

Nothing suspicious has emerged in the investigation into the 66-year-old actor's death, sources in Delhi South West police said. The sources added that further examination will provide more information on the cause and time of death.

Mr Kaushik arrived in Delhi yesterday to celebrate Holi with his friends here. The day before, he had attended the Holi party at Javed Akhtar-Shabana Azmi's Mumbai home and posted joyful photos on social media.

Police are still gathering information on where he was during the daytime. What they do know is that he was at the farmhouse in Bijwasan when he started feeling unwell. He was taken to the nearby Fortis Hospital, Gurugram, but he could not make it.

Among those who rushed Mr Kaushik to hospital is his manager Santosh Rai. Speaking to news agency ANI, he said, "He slept at 10.30 pm. Around 12.10 am, he called me, complaining of breathlessness."

Since the patient had come from Delhi, the hospital informed Delhi Police. The police then moved the body to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for autopsy. The postmortem was conducted this morning and the body handed over to Mr Kaushik's family.

Police are in touch with Mr Kaushik's companions, who took him to the hospital for further investigation.

The actor-director's death hours after he celebrated Holi with his friends and colleagues has shocked the Indian film industry, and tributes have been pouring in.

Born in Haryana and raised in Karol Bagh, Mr Kaushik was an alumnus of the National School of Drama. Known for his comic timing, his most memorable characters include Ashok in 1983 cult classic Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, for which he also wrote dialogues. The cook named 'Calendar' in the Anil Kapoor-Sridevi starrer Mr India is another unforgettable character played by Mr Kaushik.