Smriti Kalra on Satish Kaushik: He would always tell me, ‘Never stop at 100 per cent, you should give nothing less than 150 per cent’

Those who have worked with senior actor-director Satish Kaushik, who passed away on Thursday, considered themselves fortunate. Smriti Kalra, who will be seen in his production venture ‘Kaagaz 2’, gets all teary-eyed while talking about one of her favourite directors, Satish Kaushik.
She says, “The last time I met sir was during a dubbing session when we dubbed poetry together.We last connected just two days ago over messages after he saw an ad of mine. He complimented me and said that he was proud of me, to which I replied, ‘Always want to make you proud’.”
His passion and enthusiasm are bound to rub off on you, says Smriti adding, “He directed my introduction scene and a song in the film. I feel extremely fortunate to be directed by him. I fell sick during the shoot of the film, and he kept checking on me. Bahut apnapan tha unme. He was so encouraging. He would always tell me that I was a commercial actress and shouldn’t restrict myself to just serious roles. When I shared my desire to be directed by him, he replied, ‘Ek ideal love story banaayenge’.”
Amongst many things she learnt while working with the veteran actor, the actress realised that giving her 100 per cent isn’t enough. She says, “He always told me never to stop at 100 per cent and said 100 per cent se kuchh nahi hota 150 per cent daalna hota hai, nothing less. His childlike enthusiasm and passion for his craft set him apart. Even after launching so many faces, directing, producing and acting in so many films, he was still passionate about his craft. The energy and excitement he exuded were infectious.”