Asrani's funeral: It was the 'Sholay' star's wish to keep his last rites 'private'

‘The one who brought smiles to everyone’s faces, Asrani ji is no longer among us,’ mentioned veteran actor and comedian Govardhan Asrani’s family, in an official statement following his demise and last rites.

The actor, who proved that it’s not the screen time but screen presence that matters, was put to rest by his family in a quiet farewell. Everyone was shocked to learn about his demise and the private funeral, but according to his manager, it was Asrani’s wish not to announce his death and keep his last rites away from the spotlight.

Asrani’s wish to have a quiet funeral

Asrani’s funeral and final rites were held at Santacruz crematorium at 8 pm, in the presence of his close family and friends.

His manager, Babubhai Thiba, shared, “We did not inform anyone about his demise as it was his wish that we should keep it a private thing.” Since it was the actor’s wish to keep things private, the family honored the same.Earlier, veteran actress Tabassum also expressed the same wish. When he passed away a couple of years ago, the news of her demise was made public after her last rites were performed. It was the actress’s last wish not to announce her death news for at least 2 days after her passing.

Asrani’s last message to his fans

The ‘Sholay’ actor Asrani shared a sweet Diwali greeting on his social media, just hours before his demise. It was the last message he sent to his fans, and it simply had the text ‘Happy Diwali.’ It was hard for his fans to believe that the star is no more, not just because of the shocking news, but also because earlier there were fake news reports of his demise that circulated. However, after the manager’s statement, tributes started pouring in.

Statement issued by Asrani’s family

In honor of the late star, Asrani’s family issued an official statement that read, “Our beloved, the one who brought smiles to everyone’s faces, Asrani ji is no longer among us. His passing is an irreparable loss for both Hindi cinema and our hearts. The indelible mark he left through his performances will remain eternal. May God grant peace to his soul. Om Shanti.”