Veteran filmmaker Ramesh Sippy, who immortalised one of Hindi cinema’s most iconic comic characters — the “Angrezon ke zamaane ke jailer” from Sholay (1975) — remembered actor Govardhan Asrani with deep emotion and respect following his passing on October 20.

“I am very sad by this news. I just don’t know how to express myself, but I think a great talent has passed away. On screen, he would always light up the frame. We all loved him,” Sippy told mid-day, recalling the veteran actor whose inimitable comic timing became a defining part of 1970s Hindi cinema.