Bhagwandas Mulchand Luthria, Sudhir as he was lovingly called, passed away after battling through a prolonged lung illness.
We have seen Sudhir in hits like Satte Pe Satta, Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Dharmatma, Deewar, and one cannot forget his impactful performance in Shah Rukh Khan’s Baadshah.
Few films gave him decent screen time and well-etched characters. Feroz Khan’s superhit Khote Sikkay (1974) was an exception. Here Sudhir got a chance to show his acting skills. Sudhir did not get killed or went to jail in the end of this film for a change. Later, they did a sequel of Khote Sikkay called Kachche Heere, where Sudhir reprised his earlier role. But the film did not work at the Box Office.
Another character that Sudhir left his mark was in the film Satte Pe Satta where he essayed the role of one of the seven brothers.
In fact, in a career spanning over two hundred off films, Sudhir acted in at least a dozen Amitabh Bachchan movies. You can also remember him as one of the four side kicks in the film Shaan whom Shakal (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) puts through a gruelling ordeal before one of them gets eaten by a shark.
Sudhir was also a regular in almost every Navketan Film after 1970s. Sudhir did a important role as a handicapped artifact thief played by him in Hare Rama Hare Krishna. Sudhir even worked with Ravi Tandon in films like Muqaddar and Majboor.
What is most shocking is the fact nobody in the film industry is even talking about his sad demise. A bachelor throughout his life, he stayed at a bungalow in Andheri. His immediate family members did not break the news of his death, as they believed he would have wanted it to be a silent affair.
A few days post his demise, Shah Rukh Khan took on to twitter and wrote, ”My prayers and may his soul rest in peace. Wonderful co-actor Sudhirji. Feel bad didn’t get to have dinner at his house.”
Though his illness distanced him from everyone in the film fraternity, his contribution to the movies cannot be ignored. It is surely a loss for his fans.
