Veteran actor and producer Sudesh Kumar has reportedly passed away at the age of 95 at his Mumbai residence. According to a Times of India report, he was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital on Monday due to breathing-related issues before being brought back home.
His wife, Jaya Dhawan, shared that the family brought him home at his request after hospital treatment.
“At his request, we brought him back home on Thursday where we had set up a makeshift medical unit. But he breathed his last the next morning,” she said.
About Sudesh Kumar’s journey
Born in 1931 in pre-independence Peshawar, Sudesh Kumar moved to Bombay during childhood. He graduated in science from Elphinstone College, though his father initially wanted him to become a doctor. Instead, he chose acting and joined Prithviraj Kapoor’s theatre group, marking the beginning of his cinematic journey.
Career spanning films like ‘Saranga’ and ‘Chhoti Bahen’
Sudesh Kumar rose to prominence with the tragic romantic film Saranga (1961), where he played the lead role. He later featured in films like Uljhan (1975) and gained recognition for supporting roles in successful South Indian productions, including Chhoti Bahen (1959), Bharosa (1963), and Khandan (1965).
His early career included appearances in low-budget costume dramas and devotional films before his breakout cameo as a doctor in the hit family drama Chhoti Bahen (1959).
Personal life and legacy
Sudesh Kumar married Mumbai-born Jaya Naik in 1982. She has worked with several major advertising brands, including Vicco, Complan, and Farex. The couple reportedly met through a mutual friend, lyricist Rajendra Krishan.
Jaya also recalled that despite his age, he remained active and healthy in later years. “Despite his age, he was remarkably fit. He never used a walking stick,” she said, adding that they had recently visited temples in South India together.
Final rites
Sudesh Kumar’s funeral was held at Shivaji Park crematorium in Mumbai on Friday, marking the end of an era for one of the industry’s quietly enduring performers.
