Mahesh Manjrekar: We’ve lost an institution

National Awardwinning actor Vikram Gokhale who was a stalwart in Indian cinema television and theater has passed away following multiple organ failure The actor aged 77 breathed his last at a hospital in Pune his daughter told midday ldquoWe would like to thank everyone for their good wishes support and prayers through this difficult timerdquo she saidGokhale remained synonymous with substance throughout his fivedecadeold career that saw awardwinning performances in both Hindi and Marathi He debuted in the Hindi film industry with the Amitabh Bachchanstarrer Parwana 1971 Even in an ensemble that comprised popular stars Gokhale stood out courtesy his tremendous talent In fact it remained his strength to elevate even the smallest appearances and the thinnest characters offered to himAlso ReadExclusive Shreyas Talpade Vikram Gokhale kaka was never ashamed of asking for workWhat also set Gokhale apart from his contemporaries was his reliance on minimalism Whether it was as the strict patriarch in Sanjay Leela Bhansalirsquos Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam HDDCS 1999 or the portrait of grief in Anubhav Sinharsquos Tum Bin 2001 Gokhale performed with just his expressions where others needed words ldquoVikram ji is one of the greatest actors that I have ever worked with I feel people should learn from his legacy Despite being a great reader orator and so wellread he was simplehearted When I met him he was like a friend and colleague who often told me lsquoSanju main tere saath hoon Tu bol kya aur kaisa karna hairsquo He was a great colleague to be on the set with as he was always there for me Vikram ji introduced me to Indian classical vocalist Pandit Ajay Pohankar who suggested the Albela sajan raag a version of which is used in HDDCS It was hard but he barely took an hour to learn the songrdquo says Bhansali adding that he learned the nuances of the craft when he saw Gokhale perform ldquoVikram ji was the complete master of his craft Always in control of every aspectmdashin words dialogue expressions and diction He was spontaneous We donrsquot get actors like him anymorerdquoThicker than his association with the Hindi film industry was his relationship with Marathi cinema and stage In return Marathi directors did justice to his talent as he became one of the tallest stars in the fraternity also earning a National Award for his work in Anumati 2013 Gokhalersquos Anumati costar and longtime collaborator Neena Kulkarni fondly remembers him as the one of the most knowledgeable artistes she had ever met ldquoHe was an intelligent and responsible actor You could talk to him for hours on the process of acting He was also wellinformed about everythingmdashfrom literature to politics His performances are acting classes for the next generation In Godavari 2006 he had just one dialogue but he delivered it in variations that is education in itself I will obviously miss my friend as we go back a long way The fact that we have portrayed all relations from husbandwife lovers to siblings and to me even playing his daughterinlaw was a running joke between usrdquo she reminiscesldquoHe used to call me Mayardquo says Mahesh Manjrekar who directed Gokhale in Natsamrat 2016 after which they did another movie together Me Shivaji Park 2018 ldquo Vikram Gokhale was an institution in the field of acting that has shut down today He was the most complete actor in the industry He could enhance a scene by just using a handkerchief and make it look believable I have seen him in theatre doing everything including comedy Even though we were young he always treated us on par with each other He was a close friend Vikram was a directorrsquos actor but I never had to tell him what to do Despite his acting prowess he was casual about it on the setsrdquo adds the directorHis journey in showbiz Parwana 1971 Khuda Gawah 1982 Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro 1989 Thodasa Roomani Ho Jaayen 1990 Agneepath 1990 Alpaviram TV show 1998 Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam 1999 Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2007 Virrudh TV show 2007 Aaghaat 2010 Anumati 2013 Natsamrat 2015 Aiyaary 2018 Mission Mangal 2019 AB Aani CD 2020 Prawaas 2020 Nikamma 2022