'Satish uncle and Calendar will live in our hearts forever'

'I got an opportunity to direct him in Baaghi 3.'

It's impossible to believe that Satish Kaushik is gone.

The man who made us laugh, and occasionally cry too, was only 66 when he suffered a fatal heart attack in his car in Delhi-NCR.

One of his oldest acquaintances, who has known him since he was a child working in Mr India is actor-choreographer-director-producer Ahmed Khan.

Understandably distraught, Ahmed recalls the film-maker, who was always Satish uncle for him.

Speaking to Ahmed remembers, "While Shekhar Kapur (director, Mr India) would be quite chill, telling Satish uncle, who was his associate director, to let us play. They would shoot our scenes after we were done. Satish uncle was a taskmaster. He would chase us with a stick, trying to round us up for the shot."

My memories of Mr India are intrinsically linked with Satish uncle.

There were 10 of us playing the orphan kids Anil Kapoor's character Arun has adopted in the film, and we would do a lot of masti on the set. While Shekhar Kapur (director) would be quite chill, telling Satish uncle, who was his associate director, to let us play. They would shoot our scenes after we were done.

Satish uncle was a taskmaster.

He would chase us with a stick, trying to round us up for the shot.

He had different names for us, Aftab (Shivdasani) was Aafat and he would tell me, 'Tum Ahmed nahin, Qayamat ho.'

He would scold us, magar pyaar se (but lovingly) with the result that while we were scared of him, he was the one we were closest to in the unit.

It was a beautiful love-hate relationship that in my case went beyond the wonder years.

'Ahmed, why don't you do what you want to do?'