The 53-year-old, who also made impressive cameos in “Kai Po Che” and “Jab We Met,” had been staying at the house since September.
Local residents had seen him with his dog earlier that day. He was allegedly found hanging from the ceiling by his girlfriend, who informed the police. “Prima facie, it looks like he hanged himself,” Kangra SP Vimukt Ranjan told TOI. Police have not recovered any suicide notes so far. Basra had been visiting McLeodganj on and off for the past five years.
“A team of forensic experts has obtained evidence from the scene. His family members will arrive in Dharamshala on Friday. The autopsy will be carried out only after his arrival. The investigation continues,” Ranjan said.
In reaction to his death, actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui tweeted: “It’s amazing, yet another loss of a dear friend #AsifBasra – jewel of talent and personality full of life …”
As an actor, Basra was characterized by his expressive eyes. He attracted attention even in the smallest roles. Often his performance was so simple that he hardly seemed to notice. He only had a minute or more of screen time as a predatory shark hitting a lone Geet Dhillon (Kareena Kapoor) at a train station in “Jab We Met,” but we still remember the scene. His excellence was also evident in a recent Titan ad with Rajkummar Rao. The way his facial expressions change when he learns that his former employee is offering him a CEO position underscored his quality as an actor. He had also worked on the 2017 Himachali film “Saanjh,” described as the first in the state’s western Pahari language.
Several Bollywood actors and directors expressed shock at his sudden death. Actor Divya Dutta tweeted, “Terribly surprised to hear about @ asifbasra’s untimely disappearance. We filmed together for # hostages2. He seemed such a happy and free-spirited man! And he was such a fabulous actor! Rip Asif. This is difficult. to digest “. Ranvir Shorey posted: “Asif Basra was a warm, generous and exuberant co-actor and friend. We will miss him so much. My heart goes out to his family and friends. RIP.”
Director Rahul Dholakia wrote: “Shocked to hear about Basra! What a wonderful actor and a jovial companion, I mean why would he? Very sad – He had directed it in Parzania (Chagan), in Lamhaa (the Darzee ) – and also in society – Very sad to hear of his passing !! #asifbasra I hope you are at peace “. His co-director Vivek Agnihotri tweeted: “OMG … no way … you can’t do this Asif. We just did #TheTashkentFiles together and we were supposed to start my new movie. OMG. What’s going on. ? Why? Not you? Never … ”
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