Eminent theatre and film actor Shriram Lagoo dies at 92 of cardiac arrest

Eminent theatre and film actor Shriram Lagoo, who played an important role in the growth of theatre movement in Maharashtra and was known for his progressive and rationalist views that he expressed without fear, passed away on Tuesday evening. He was 92.

Lagoo died of cardiac arrest at his Pune residence around 8 pm. The last rites will be performed after his son comes from the US, his wife Deepa Lagoo said in a statement.

"He passed away due to age-related complications," playwright Satish Alekar told PTI.

As an actor, Lagoo's roles in Marathi plays such as "Natsamrat" and "Himalayachi Saoli", and films like "Pinjra" made him popular. He essayed memorable roles in Bollywood films such as "Ek Din Achanak", "Gharonda" and "Lawaris" to name a few.

Lagoo, who was a trained ENT surgeon, played a key role in the growth of theatre movement in Maharashtra in the post-Independence era along with Vijay Tendulkar, Vijaya Mehta and Arvind Deshpande.

Alekar said after the demise of Lagoo, affectionately known in theatre circles as 'Doctor', "we have lost a giant actor from the Indian theatre scene".

Lagoo was at par with any stalwarts internationally known. He was the last soldier who steadfastly believed in the freedom of expression and he stood for the freedom of expression during the Emergency, according to Alekar.

"He steadfastly stood behind Vijay Tendulkar and other actors of Ghanshiram Kotwal and Sakharam Binder," the playwright said.

In a tweet, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said: "My tributes to all time great artist Shreeram Lagoo. We have lost a versatile personality. A unique theatre actor dominated silver screen and created impact. He was social activists simultaneously.