No alcohol in body, no foul play: Satish Kaushik's portmortem report reveals cause of his death

His body will be sent to Mumbai on an air ambulance from Delhi.

The initial postmortem report of actor-filmmaker Satish Kaushik has revealed a cardiac arrest as the cause of his death, ANI reported citing sources.

What Postmortem Report Says?

No alcohol content has found in his body and also "foul play" possibility in his death has been ruled out by the postmortem report. "Cardiac arrest for the cause of death of Satish Kaushik. No injury marks over the body. No alcohol was found in his body. No foul play was found. Blood and viscera samples have been preserved and sent for investigation," sources informed the news agency.

The Delhi Police are investigating to to ascertain if Kaushik's death occurred under mysterious circumstances or if the person died of unnatural causes. The police is carrying out routine proceedings under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) Section 174 (Police to enquire and report on suicide, etc). "Delhi Police is carrying out routine proceedings under CrPC Section 174 (Police to enquire and report on suicide, etc). The aim is to ascertain if the demise occurred under mysterious circumstances or if the person died of unnatural causes," said Delhi Police.

On the other hand, the body has been handed over to the family and the mortal remains will be brought to Mumbai for his final rites.

"Kaushik's body will be sent to Mumbai in an air ambulance from Delhi today" sources added.

Veteran actor Anupam Kher was first to announce the death of his decades-old friend. "I had brought him to the hospital. He slept at 10.30 pm and called me at 12.10 am, complaining of breathlessness," said Santosh Rai, manager of Satish Kaushik.

Kaushik is survived by his wife and daughter.

Who was Kaushik?

Born in Haryana and raised in Delhi's Karol Bagh, Kaushik always dreamed of becoming an actor. This took him to the NSD and then to Mumbai. In interviews, Kaushik often recalled how he left for the city of dreams with Rs 800, given to him by his brother-in-law, and a conviction that he would make it big. A young Kaushik worked at a textile mill during the day and spent his evenings at Mumbai's famed Prithvi theatre. He would eventually find work with Shekhar Kapoor as an assistant before making a mark in acting and then direction.

An alumnus of the National School of Drama and the Film and Television Institute of India, Kaushik was a multi-faceted personality who co-wrote the dialogues for Kundan Shah's "Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro" with Ranjit Kapoor. He also played the role of Ashok, the assistant to Pankaj Kapur's corrupt contractor Tarneja in 1983 cult classic.

Another memorable role of Kaushik is of the lovable Calendar in Shekhar Kapoor's sci-fi drama "Mr India", the cook at the orphanage run by Anil Kapoor's character in the film. Kapoor and Kaushik worked together in a number of films such as "Ram Lakhan", "Jamai Raja", "Andaz", "Gharwali Baharwali" and Kaushik's directorial debut "Roop Ki Raani Choron Ka Raja" among other directorial ventures.

Kaushik's comic pairing with Govinda yielded some of the biggest hits of the 90s in films such as "Swarg", "Saajan Chale Sasural", "Deewana Mastana", "Pardesi Babu", "Bade Miyan Chote Miyan", "Aunty No 1" and "Haseena Maan Jayegi" to name a few.

He was a successful director with a wide-ranging filmography that began with 1993's "Roop Ki Raani Choron Ka Raja", had hits such "Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hain", "Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai", "Badhaai Ho Badhaai", Salman Khan-starrer hit "Tere Naa" that memorably sparked a middle-parted hairstyle trend in youngsters.

He also directed "Vaada", "Shadi Se Pehle", "Karzzz", "Milenge Milenge", "Gang of Ghosts" and most recently, the 2021 film "Kaagaz" with Pankaj Tripathi. Kaushik's last post on his official Twitter account was a series of pictures from the annual Holi celebrations organised by noted lyricist-writer Javed Akhtar on March 7 in Mumbai.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were among those who condoled his death. "Pained by the untimely demise of noted film personality Shri Satish Kaushik ji. He was a creative genius who won hearts thanks to his wonderful acting and direction. His works will continue to entertain audiences. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti," the prime minister said.

Expressing his deep sadness, Amit Shah said Kaushik's "contribution to Indian cinema, artistic creations and performances will always be remembered".

With inputs from PTI