Noted film directors will gather to pay tribute to Farooque Shaikh on Jan 16

MUMBAI: As in life so in passing, Farooque Shaikh continues to evoke much affection and respect within the film fraternity. Some of India's finest directors will assemble at an auditorium in Mumbai next week to recall the experience of working with the remarkable actor.
The tribute will be offered at the S P Jain Auditorium in Bhavan's College, Andheri, on January 16.
The list of stalwarts is led by M S Sathyu who introduced Shaikh in 'Garm Hawa' in 1973. Muzaffar Ali will be present as well. He had selected Shaikh to play the male lead in nearly all of the films he directed, starting with 'Gaman' (1978), going on to 'Umrao Jaan' (1981) and 'Anjuman' (1986).
It was while shooting 'Anjuman' that Shaikh became acquainted with the plight of the impoverished chikankari artisans of Lucknow. It spawned a lifelong association with the classic white embroidered kurta-pyjama that remained his unique hallmark. He would order his outfits from the karigars themselves, motivated by the will to lend a helping hand as also the pristine beauty of the fabric.
Thursday's tribute will feature Sagar Sarhadi ('Bazaar', 'Lorie'), Ramesh Talwar ('Noorie'), Ketan Mehta ('Maya Memsaab'), Raman Kumar ('Saath Saath'), Kalpana Lajmi ('Ek Pal'), Pankaj Parashar ('Peechha Karro'), Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan ('Lahore'), Sanjay Tripathi ('Club 60'), Avinash Kumar Singh ('Listen Amaya'), Dibakar Banerjee ('Shanghai') and Shona Urvashi ('Saas Bahu Aur Sensex'). Suhail Tatari ('Kashmeer') and Anand Rai will also speak about Shaikh. Among his co-actors Deepti Naval will share her thoughts on their long working partnership spanning Doordarshan television shows leading on to 'Chashme Buddoor' right up to 'Listen Amaya' last year.\
The remembrance called for some quick scheduling and coordination effort. It is organised by the Indian Films & TV Directors Association whose president Ashoke Pandit said, "We thought we should invite all those directors who have worked with Shaikh to share interesting moments with the actor, whether these are humorous or sensitive or simply give an insight into his unique personality. They will narrate little trivia which will be useful to those who have merely seen Shaikh on screen and want to know about Farooque Shaikh the person. This great actor and exceptional human being deserves to be remembered in the most dignified way. What better than inviting all his directors upon a common forum to celebrate his talent and his persona."