India, Oct. 22 -- That endorsement from Indira not only gave Asrani his first major break but also legitimised trained acting talent in an industry that often relied on instinct over education. Guddi (1971) marked a turning point, and from there, he became a familiar face across genres - from earnest supporting roles to the unforgettable comic parts that made him a household name. In a box- The film's director Ramesh Sippy is saddened at the passing away of the legendary comedian. Talking to us he says, "People remember Sholay, but the first time I had actually used Asrani was in the opening scene of Seeta aur Geeta. He played a cameo as the doctor who actually delivers the two babies. He and his wife don't have any children of their own, so they decided to adopt one of the two girls. One is given to the mother, who goes home with her, and they keep the one who grows up to be Geeta. Sita and Geeta and they don't have, me and his wife don't have children, so they keep one for themselves. That's how our association started." "And then when Sholay came up, this particular jailer sequence, I felt that it required a really good actor. Salim- Javed suggested Asrani, and I fully agreed 'Let's give this young man another chance. What happened next is one for the history books. A spontaneous line uttered by Asrani was kept as it is. "It's unbelievable that he is remembered even 50 years later for that scene," adds Ramesh. Remembering Asrani as a "wonderful" person, Ramesh says, "He was very well behaved on the sets, and of course he was an extremely fine actor, there's no need for me to say that." Surprisingly, the director and actor duo didn't work again after Sholay. Ramesh reasons, "His image had become so strong (as a comic actor), I didn't know how to take it off. If he would come in any other role on screen, the hall would get upset, it was my fear." The last interaction Asrani had with Ramesh and his family was quite recently, "He gave an interview to my wife for a documentary that she's working on." - Rishabh Suri In a box- Actor Akshay Kumar is heartbroken after the death of Asrani, who died on Monday at the age of 84 after a prolonged illness. Akshay shared that he had filmed several scenes with the legendary comedian and actor for his upcoming movie Haiwaan just last week, admitting he is speechless with grief. Late on Monday, Akshay took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share an emotional tribute for Asrani, with whom he worked on several projects such as Hera Pheri, Bhool Bhulaiyaa and Khatta Meetha. "Speechless with grief at the passing of Asrani ji. We had just shared the warmest of hugs just a week back at the shoot of Haiwaan," Akshay wrote in his note. Akshay added, "Bahot pyare insaan the (he was a lovely person).he had the most legendary comic timing. From all my cult films Hera Pheri to Bhagam Bhag to De Dana Dan, Welcome and now our unreleased Bhoot Bangla and Haiwaan.I had worked and learned so much from him. What an absolute loss to our industry. God bless you Asrani Sir, for giving us a million reasons to laugh. Om Shanti." X and insta story tributes- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Asrani a "gifted entertainer" and "versatile artist". "He particularly added joy and laughter to countless lives through his unforgettable performances. His contribution to Indian cinema will always be cherished," Modi wrote on X....