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A Brief Bio of Farooq Sheikh

Farooq Sheikh was born on 25th March 1948 in Amroli district, Gujarat to Mustafa Sheikh and Farida. He was an Indian actor, Philanthropist and a popular television presenter by profession.

Having the privilege of growing up in a luxurious surrounding due to his father being a lawyer and extended family being Zamindars, he attended St. Mary’s School and later went to St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai.

After graduating from junior college, Farooq went onto pursuing the same career that his father excelled at from Siddharth College of Law. Later did he realise the profession chosen was not what he could relate to and gradually moved into acting. This happened only in the final year when he was approached by a renowned film director; M.S. Sathyu for a directorial debut to play a supporting role in Garam Hawa, which later credited for being a pioneer of a new wave of Hindi Art cinema.

Popularity in the eyes of the public was not gained by Farooq through this debut film due to him having a supporting role. He then went onto anchoring shows such as Yuvadarshan and Young World on Bombay Doordarshan that made him a household name.

During college days Farooq also met his spouse, Rupa Jain with whom he has 3 children; Rubina Shaikh, Shaista Shaikh, Sanaa Shaikh.

Farooq Sheikh died of a heart attack on the 27th December 2013 in Dubai where he had gone for a holiday with his family.

Friday, January 3, 2014

Farooq Sheikh - An Introduction

“All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.”
                                                                                                           William Shakespeare

Farooq Sheikh was among one of those man who has left behind a mark. He began his acting career in plays and made his debut in Indian cinema in 1973 with the classic Garam Hawa, set in post-partition India. He was best known for his films during the 1970s and 1980s. Often referred as the blue eyed boy of the parallel cinema movement, his major contribution was in Parallel Cinema or the New Indian Cinema.


He worked with critically acclaimed directors such as Satyajit Ray, Muzaffar Ali, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Ketan Mehta. It was his performance in films such as Shatranj Ke Khiladi, Chashme Buddoor, Kissi Se Na Kehna, Noorie, Bazaar, Saath Saath and Umrao Jaan that catapulted him to fame.


The unassuming actor touched the hearts of millions of Indians with roles that reflected the common man’s travails. Known for his comic timing, Sheikh performed in a range of films from comedy to classics and romance.


In a career spanning almost four decades, Sheikh's body of work is not huge as he ignored the alluring, money-spinning world of commercial cinema to focus on roles that were nearer to reality.

Sheikh was actively involved in all the genre of Indian cinema right from typical masala Bollywood movies to Theater. He has acted in many serials and shows on television and performed on stage in famous productions such as 'Tumhari Amrita', presented the TV show, 'Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai'.

In recent times, he acted in fewer films like 'Saas Bahu Aur Sensex', 'Tell Me O Khuda' and 'Lahore' for which he won the 2010 National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as a boxing coach.


Being titled as a Veteran speaks bounds about Farooq Sheikh and his unique style of acting. He was a true artist; he did Art and not blockbusters.

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