‘Sholay’ And 'Seeta Aur Geeta’ Fame Mushtaq Merchant Dies At 67

Mushtaq Merchant, a veteran actor, writer, and comedian, died today (December 27). He was 67 years old and had been diagnosed with diabetes for quite some time. According to the Times Of India (TOI), he died at the Holy Family Hospital in Mumbai.

He has earned a name for himself in the entertainment world by acting in various Bollywood films over the years. Merchant appeared in nearly 80 films over his two-decade long career. 'Seeta Aur Geeta', 'Jawani Diwani', 'Sagar', 'Fifty Fifty', 'Naseeb Wala', 'Pyaar Hua Chori Chori' and 'Balwan' are a few of them.

He also appeared in the 1975 hit film 'Sholay,' which starred actors Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra. However, due to the film's length, his sequences were removed. Merchant played a train driver in the film, whose bike was stolen by Jai (Amitabh Bachchan) and Veeru (Dharmendra) during the film's song 'Yeh Dosti.' 

Merchant appears in the film in two roles. The first is as a train driver in the above mentioned scene. Also, when Jai-Veeru take a Parsi man's motorcycle, he plays his second role. He takes on the role of a Parsi man. 

According to several reports, around 16 years ago, the veteran actor and comedian said his final goodbyes to the stage amd films. He converted to Sufism and devoted himself solely to religious pursuits. After retiring from acting, he pursued spirituality and was currently living in Bandra, Mumbai.