Shiv Kumar Subramaniam is survived by his wife, actor Divya Jagdale, who has been described as “a lovely spirit” by many of his business colleagues and acquaintances. He was 62 years old at the time.
Shiv Kumar Subramaniam, a writer-actor who has been noted for his exceptional portrayal of a varied spectrum of supporting characters in Hindi cinema for over three decades, died on Sunday night. Subramaniam is survived by his wife, actor Divya Jagdale, who has been described as “a lovely spirit” by many of his business colleagues and acquaintances. He was 62 years old at the time.
Subramaniam was cremated on Monday at Mokshdham Hindu Shamshanbhoomi in Andheri West, where he most recently appeared as Sanya Malhotra’s grandfather in the Netflix family drama Meenakshi Sundareshwar (2021). Naseeruddin Shah, Nana Patekar, and Makarand Deshpande were among the many actors who attended his burial. Subramaniam and Jagdale lost their 15-year-old son Jahaan in February of this year.
The news of his death stunned not only those who knew him, but also those who had appreciated his work in film, television, and theatre throughout the years. Subramaniam was described by filmmaker Anurag Kashyap as “the most generous, gorgeous man” he had ever met. Kashyap recalled how the writer-actor enabled him to read through the script for Auto Narayan (1996), which was originally penned by Subramaniam, during their meeting in 1994. Later. Subramaniam requested that filmmaker Shivam Nair credit Kashyap as well. “That’s how I received my first credit as a screenwriter… “I owe Shiva Dada so much of who I am,” the writer-director wrote.
Parinda (1989), a compelling criminal drama set in Mumbai, cemented Subramaniam’s place in Hindi film. He developed the screenplay for Parinda and worked as an associate director for it, in addition to playing Francis, the henchman of mobster Anna. He played a variety of intriguing characters in films such as Prahaar (1994), 1942: A Love Story (1994), Droh Kaal (1995), Kaminey (2009), Teen Patti (2010), Stanley Ka Dabba (2011), and others over the years.
Subramaniam’s recent roles include a football-loving elderly Appa in Tu Hai Mera Sunday (2016), Alia Bhatt’s severe father in 2 States (2014), a principal in Hichki (2018), and Dr. Nandi in Nail Polish (2021). The actress, who was a student at Mumbai’s St Xavier’s College, was also a well-known television and theatre performer. Kismat (2011), Mukti Bandhan (2011), Pradhanmantri (2013-14), and 24 were among his television appearances (2013). Subramaniam was a co-writer on a number of films, including 1942 A Love Story (1994), Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2005), and Teen Patti (2010). He also provided the voice of Rafiki in the Hindi adaptation of Jon Favreau’s The Lion King (2019).
Adishakti Theatre in Pondicherry described Subramaniam’s death as a “colossal loss to the theatre,” recalling that he was a member of their very first show, Oedipus. He also performed Guildenstern in their following performance, Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Actor-writer Vivaan Shah recalled him as “a wonderful artist and a beautiful human being,” calling him “a mentor, an older brother, a beloved friend.” Hansal Mehta, Manoj Bajpayee, Anil Kapoor, and Amol Gupte, among others in the entertainment world, expressed their astonishment at his abrupt death.