Skip to content Skip to navigation

Saeed Jaffrey: Actor who straddled disparate worlds

Rini Kakati with Saeed Jaffery at  Brent Indian Association, Wembley, London
Rini Kakati with Saeed Jaffery at Brent Indian Association, Wembley, London

Saeed Jaffrey, was an Indian-born British actor whose versatility and fluency in multiple languages allowed him to straddle radio, stage, television and film in a career that spanned over six decades and more than a hundred and fifty British, American and Indian movies. He is one of the few actors who found fame and success in both India and the West. Saeed Jaffrey - who has died at the age of 86 - was a versatile, charismatic and hugely popular star. The pleasure of knowing Saeed Jaffrey was that he was at least as great an entertainer in real life as he was on radio, television, stage and film. 

I remember meeting Saeed for the first time few years back in London. When my mother came to visit me. One MID-AFTERNOON, we were at Piccadilly, as soon as we entered Harrods Saeed came to my mother asked in Hindi "Aap Assam se Aye Hai?". "Bhupen Hazarika mera dost hai" . As my mother was wearing Mekhla Chadar. He appreciated  and said namaste. He kissed me and embraced me on both cheeks. I told my mother he is a well-known actor of India. He said good bye and exchanged phone numbers. Ever since we became good friends especially through Brent Indian Association. Because each time whenever I organize Assamese function at Brent Indian Association he and Jennifer supported us. He told me  he loved Assam, its culture and Bhupen Hazarika. He called my name "Begum Assam".

He was a multifaceted actor whose flair & versatility will always be remembered. A very cultured, sophisticated & a great actor.  I had a great association with Saeed Saab & Jennifer through various meetings and functions. at Brent Indian Association. He was such a fabulous person. So well read and wise. As an actor, he was a pioneer and was the first true crossover Asian actor who worked in Hollywood with top stars like Sean Connery and Michael Caine and open the floodgates for other Asian and Indian actors. 

His performance in the BBC classic Gangsters (1975) (TV) as "Rafiq" earned him countrywide recognition in the United Kingdom. This was even though he had acted in Theatres and appeared on television previously in the U.K. In `1999 he appeared in British soap in ITV Channel : Coronation Street as corner shop  owner Ravi Desai. This was a very popular serial in ITV and we were all waiting for 7:30 evening to watch the programme.

 He is known over the world for his impeccable English accent, his dapper style and his catch phrase "My dear boy". They form part of an acting persona that audiences have always found enchanting. He uses his smooth charm to good effect whether he is playing the archetypal oily, corrupt businessman or the kindly, knowing, father like figure. He is the first Asian to have received British and Canadian Academy Award nominations for acting, and is the first ever to be awarded the Order of the British Empire for his services to drama.

During the 1980s and 1990s he was considered to be Britain's highest-profile Asian actor, thanks to his leading roles in the movie My Beautiful Laundrette (1985) and television series Tandoori Nights (1985–1987) and Little Napoleons (1994)

Saeed Jaffrey has two careers: he's well-known in Britain, and he's huge in India. Jaffrey is moist, engaging, round: he leaks expressiveness from every pore.

Author info

Rini Kakati's picture

London, UK

Comments

harbin's picture

Its really an excellent information about Saeed Jafrey.. Yes, Some Indian People are also succeeding in the Hollywood industry who is like anil kapoor. Among Indian TV Channels Malayalam TV Channelshas to promote these type of activities because they would be having some good and great actors.

Pages

Add new comment

Assamese Translator

Assam Times seeks English to Assamese translators!
Join our volunteer team.
Email editor@assamtimes.org.

Random Stories

Deforestation causing concern

12 Feb 2008 - 9:05am | editor
Yet again it’s deforestation which has almost denuded the Delhi Reserve Forest of Charaideo. The deforestation is evident from a number of illegal saw mills along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh...

Sivasagar blast muffles public rally by pro talk ULFA

21 Sep 2008 - 3:30pm | editor
Despite the blast that rocked Sivasagar town on Saturday evening, the pro talk ULFA faction is holding a public rally for restoration of peace and normalcy in the town on Sunday. But amid tight...

Chandan Duarah at Phnom Penh

UN Agenda to address Assam's problems inclusively

9 Oct 2013 - 9:16am | Raktim Baruah
The UN Post 2015 Agenda on Sustainable Development would include important points raised by civil societies of Asia and Pacific region, Chandan Kumar Duarah, a journalist and activist from Assam...

Chaiding incident: Will the prisoners of conscience awake?

21 Sep 2008 - 2:59pm | editor
The death toll at Chaiding has gone up to 45 on Friday night when they were trying to pilfer crude oil from a goods train along the Assam-Nagaland boder in Karbi Anglong district. But how the...

Other Contents by Author

The Indian High Commission in collaboration with Friends of Assam and Seven Sisters (FASS) paid tribute to Bhupen Hazarika, Shrandhanjali event at Gandhi Hall, India House on  November 16, 2018. Syed Iftikar Ahmed, medical specialist, actor and a singer was invited from Assam to deliver a power-point presentation on Dr. Bhupen Hazarika - his life, works and achievements. Among the dignitaries present were Lord Dholakia, Navin Shah, London Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow, Mr. A.S. Rajan Minister Co-ordination, High Commission of India , Richard Blurton, curator of British Museum, Lalit Mohan Joshi, Editor / Director, South Asian Cinema Foundation,  Kailash Budhwar, Former...
A master-plan to boost trade and improve highway and rail access to seaports is vital to bring new hope to the impoverished and strife-torn north-eastern region of India, a meeting in London has been told.The call came during an impassioned panel and audience discussion at the Nehru Centre in London, on the problems of Assam, the largest of the northeast states, which have a total population of 40m. Assam is a microcosm of multi-ethnic India and is the country’s main tribal area. There are 220 ethnic groups living in the northeast, which is narrowly connected to the rest of India by the narrow Siliguri Corridor between Bhutan and Bangladesh. Famed for its extensive cultivation of...
You are cordially invited to an evening of Sattriya dance performance by Anwesa Mahanta - “Dancing the Divinity” from Assam. On Wednesday 14, August 2013 at 6:30pm - 8:30pm at The Nehru Centre, 8 South Audley Street, London W1K 1HF (Nearest Tube Station: Green Park)A dedicated and promising young exponent of Sattriya Dance, Anwesa Mahanta has received accolades from the art connoisseurs and scholars for the grace and liveliness of her dance and the expressiveness of her abhinaya. Belonging to the Vaisnava monastery of Assam, Sattra, Anwesa started her formal lessons in Sattriya from her early childhood under the guidance of the eminent maestro and a Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee...
The High Commission of India partnering Tea Board of India is organising a flagship event on Assam  -  "The Gateway of India's North - East" on June 14 at Mayfair, London. The summit will address key issues related to the overall socio-economic development of the North East.The topic for the panel discussion is "The role of India's North - East in Global development" - will witness the coming together of a number of top UK & India journalists. The highlights of this panel discussion featuring diverse themes with eminent speakers, emphasising infrastructure, investment, economy and ethnicity connected with the state which would open up international connectivity leading to an...
London Film Festival in March 2013 has selected award winning Assamese film - Laaj (Shame) directed by Manju Borah. Manju Borah is also been invited to attend this event. This initiative has been taken by Rini Kakati. Rini Kakati is very excited that an Assamese film will be shown at this prestigious event.There are a number of great films lined up and some talent from Bollywood and beyond will be attending, including the reknowned actress and woman activist Shabana Azmi and historian Bhawana Somaya amongst others. Including the award winning documentary Saving Face followed by a panel discussion with the amazing Dr Mohammad Jawad and other Pakistani talents.This year LFF will continue...
Dr. Raktim Ranjan Saikia - is a convener of proposed "Asamiya Jatiya Itihas". This is to compile a compete chronicle of Assam from Ancient to modern times using all possible scientific means and ways. He has done his M.Sc and Ph.D from Gauhati University and have published several research paper in different international science journals. He has started his professional career as an Engineering Geologist, joined in petroleum sector for different oil companies. He is currently an Assistant Professor at Department Geology of JB College, Jorhat.  Asomiya Jatiya Prakash, the publishers of the encyclopedic dictionary, Asomiya Jatiya Abhidhan (Assamese National Dictionary)  - he is an...
Nehru Centre at Mayfair London presented a stunning confluence of Sattriya performance by Sharodi Saikia - as a leading exponent of Sattriya tradition on Monday, October 1. Sharodi Saikia has a rare combination of dancer, choreographer, teacher and music composer, has been pursuing this dance form for more than three decades with untiring devotion and exemplary zeal. It was her Guru, the legendary Rokhkeswar Saikia Borbayan of Kamalabari Sattra, who was the moving spirit and main protagonist instrumental in transplanting this rich cultural treasure trove from the religious-ritualistic moorings of the Sattras to the secular stage enabling the common people to enjoy it as a cultural...
Sankaradeva inspired an artistic and cultural Renaissance in the state of Assam. As a religious leader and social reformer Sankaradeva deserve to be mentioned with Sankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Guru Nanak and Tulsi Das.Assam is a part of India which in somewhere is little know even in India itself because of its remote location. More importantly the relative neglect absence of Sankaradeva in the history of the Neo-Vaishnavite movement in India, has long been a gap in knowledge waiting recognition.It is highly imperative that this great saint receives world attention. And also imperative that the life and philosophy and artistic creations of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankaradeva and the exposure...
Assam has been fortunate in giving birth to a great musical genius in Bhupen Hazarika. "He was an ardent supporter of Assamese nationalism and wrote many stirring compositions about the cultural heritage of his native State, but his work transcended regional boundaries and the values he espoused were universal. Now that mighty voice has fallen silent. Assam is poorer for it. The world is poorer for it". It is a significant step towards our endeavour to take Dr. Bhupen Hazarika to the international platform.His artistic excellence and qualities of head and heart set the perfect example of an artist in the truest sense of the term. 5 crowded years of meaningful existence having added...
It is not everyday people like Bhupen Hazarika is born - 85 years of meaningful existence has and continue to add significance in uploading the rich culture, tradition, flourishing in Assam for ages.The bard of Brahmaputra fell silent for eternity on November 05, 2011 He was considered as the last of the great mass singer and the only great ballad singer in India. He was a maestro, a living legend and a national and international cultural icon, who represents and reflects with perfection, the socio-cultural political image of India. Dr Hazarika’s vision encompasses the entire world, reflecting the mood and passion of the oppressed and downtrodden in his ballads and folk tunes he...