Mumbai, March 25: Farooq (Farouque or Farooque)Shaikh, who would have celebrated his 70th birthday today, was a versatile actor who graced the Indian screen and television. Farooq also gave his voice for a radio programme. He started his professional acting career doing plays for Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) and made his film debut in MS Sathyu's Garam Hawa- a masterpiece on partition. Farooq Shaikh studied in St.Xavier's College, Mumbai and was part of the theatre group in college where he acted alongside Shabana Azmi, another student/actor from college. Farooq Shaikh's father was a lawyer and even Farooq studied  Law at Siddharth College but found his calling in acting and decided to choose acting as his profession. We have compiled a few interviews and videos which will make you marvel at his acting skills and the easy charm that he brought to screen that mesmerised audiences for years. He formed a formidable on-screen pair with his co-star of many films, Deepti Naval. Google Doodle has celebrated his birthday by dedicating a doodle to him on his 70th birthday.

Farooq was a complete actor in the sense that he could do serious roles with as much ease as comic characters. And the best part about his acting was that it all seemed effortless, he was never found "trying" to act. Him acting in front of the screen was to witness things as they were happening. He could bring a sense of authenticity to even the most outlandish or comic scenes. Here are a few videos to support this claim:

1. Katha

This scene from the film Katha, in which he starred opposite Naseeruddin Shah, shows his command on his performance and how easily he could dominate any scene. The body language, voice modulation, and of course, dialogue delivery are all near perfect in this scene.

2. Chashme Buddoor

The 1981 cult romantic comedy film Chashme Buddoor starring Farooq Shaikh, Deepti Naval, Rakesh Bedi, Ravi Baswani was directed by Sai Paranjpye and is one of the best comic films to have been made. Watch it if you haven't already seen this classic.

3. Garam Hawa

This is the theatrical trailer of Farooq Shaikh's first film, Garam Hawa. Though the movie will always be remebered for the performance of one of India's greatest screen actors, Balraj Sahani, it is worth having a look at the two dialogues that Farooq has delivered in this trailer.

4. Shatranj Ke Khilari 

This scene from Satyajit Ray directed Shatranj Ke Khilari is worth gold. The film had an amazing cast with actors like Sanjeev Kumar, Saeed Jaffery, Farida Jalal and Richard Attenborough and of course, Farooq Shaikh. Watch this full video to see Farooq's performance and then make sure you see the film based on Munshi Premchand's short story.

These were some of the best scenes from his movies. Now let us have a look at his interviews. Always dressed in an elegant white Kurta, it was always a  delight to hear Farooq Shaikh as he brought the same finesse to his language that he brought in his performances.

1. Interview Along With Deepti Naval

This interview that he gave with Deepti Naval has both the actors recalling one of their best scenes. Watch it.

2. Tribute By Youngistaan Film Team

This 2014 film was one of the last films of Farooq Shaikh and the Youngistaan film team decided to dedicate a video tribute to him, which shows the respect he had earned in the film industry.

3. Rajya Sabha Channel Interview

His command on Urdu, his style of conversation and his charming personality are all on display in this Rajya Sabha channel interview. A must watch for fans.

4. Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai

Most of us know that superstar Salman Khan made his debut opposite Farooq Shaikh and Rekha in the film Biwi Ho Toh Aisi. But few of us must be aware that it was on Farooq Shaikh's show Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai that Varun Dhawan made his first appearance on TV. Don't believe us, have a look at the video.

His other memorable performances include Lahore, Bazaar and Gaman. To conclude, it would be fair to say that reminiscing the career of Farooq Shaikh is like recalling the best of Hindi cinema. He truly was an artist who was loved by audiences and critics alike. One can only thank him for his body of work on his 70th birthday. It is true that he left the world too soon, but it is also true that he gave the world a lot to remember.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 25, 2018 01:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).