Satyendra Kapoor

Satyendra Kapoor, born 13 April 1931 in Panipat when it was still Punjab, India—man, this guy was everywhere in old-school Bollywood. You check the credits of any classic from the '70s or '80s, odds are, his name pops up. Sholay? Of course. Don? Yup, that too. The dude was like the quintessential dad, uncle, or authority figure, just showing up with that calm-but-slightly-anxious vibe. He wasn’t the hero, but you always noticed him. That’s a skill not everyone’s got—being memorable from the sidelines. He started out in theatre back in the day, grinding through bit parts, slowly carving a niche for himself in the crowded film industry. By the time Sholay dropped in 1975, Satyendra Kapoor was already a familiar face. In Sholay, he played Ramlal, Thakur’s loyal servant. Not a big role in terms of screen time, but man, he sells the part—just the right mix of fear and loyalty. And Don, released in 1978, gave him another solid supporting role, proving he could blend into any story, any genre. Honestly, he was all over—family dramas, thrillers, even the odd comedy. His filmography’s a wild ride through Bollywood’s golden era. You get the feeling the directors trusted him with just about anything: “Need a stern dad? Call Kapoor. Need a worried cop? Satyendra’s your guy.” When he passed away in Mumbai on 27 October 2007, Bollywood lost one of its steady hands, a guy who made every film a little bit better just by being there.