Mon Oct 20 15:10:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing and rewriting the provided text:

Headline: Veteran Actor and Comedian Asrani Dies at 84

Mumbai, India – Govardhan Asrani, the legendary comedian and character actor known simply as “Asrani” to generations of Indian filmgoers, has died at the age of 84. He passed away in Mumbai on [Date – infer today’s date from the context of the prompt] after a prolonged illness, according to his manager, Babubhai Thiba.

News agency ANI confirmed the news, tweeting about the actor’s passing and the performance of his last rites at the Santacruz Crematorium. Family members were present to bid farewell to the beloved actor.

Asrani, a graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India, enjoyed a career spanning over five decades, becoming a familiar and cherished face in Hindi cinema. While he appeared in hundreds of films across genres, he is perhaps most fondly remembered for his iconic role as the comically corrupt jailor in the classic film “Sholay.” His ability to seamlessly transition between comedic and serious roles established him as a dependable and versatile performer.

He worked with some of the most respected directors in the industry, including Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Raj Kapoor, further solidifying his reputation as a character actor of immense talent and enduring appeal.

In a 2016 interview with the Hindustan Times, Asrani lamented the decline of comedy in modern films, criticizing the rise of vulgarity and the departure from the more subtle and realistic styles of earlier eras. Ironically, his last Bollywood film was the adult comedy “Mastizaade,” a project he admitted to feeling embarrassed by. “Mujhe mastizaade main kaam karna pada, mujhe sharam aayi” – “I had to work in Mastizaade, I felt embarrassed,” he had said.

Asrani is survived by his wife, sister, and nephew. His legacy as one of Indian cinema’s most beloved comedic talents will undoubtedly live on through his vast and memorable body of work.

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