Jaspal Bhatti dies in road accident

[DailyMail]

What a sad loss. He was great at political satire, always taking a dig at corrupt politicians.

[Guest]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=jaspal+bhatti

It's okay.

[JasSinghKhalsa]

Waheguru, honest sikh, baba nanak de charnan ch niwas mille es nek ruh nun.

[SikhWorldTv]

Very sad news - Waheguru - he leaves many memories

[Azaad]

Ace comedian, satirist and film producer Jaspal Bhatti died in a road accident near Shahkot today.

The accident took place around 1.30 am when Bhatti, his son Jasraj, actor Surili Gautam and Navnit Joshi, a Chandigarh-based advertisement professional, were travelling from Bathinda to Jalandhar via Moga for the promotion of their upcoming film ‘Power Cut’.

Their white Honda Accord (HNC 1), which was being driven by Jasraj, crashed into a tree. Bhatti (57), who was in the rear seat, suffered grievous head injuries, including multiple fractures of the skull. All occupants of the car suffered injuries.

Bhatti and his team were on a 40-day tour to promote ‘Power Cut’ in Punjab, which was to culminate at a press conference here on Thursday. The film, directed and produced by Bhatti, was scheduled for a Friday release. It is Jasraj’s debut film.

“The accident took place around 1.30 am. Some local residents informed the police, which shifted the occupants of the car to a hospital in Jalandhar. While Bhatti was declared brought dead, the others were shifted to DMCH, Ludhiana, after first aid,” said Jalandhar (Rural) SP Rajinder Singh.

The police is investigating the reasons behind the accident. It is believed that the vehicle swerved near the kerb on the Moga-Jalandhar highway near the Shahkot Truck Union office.

The airbags of the car were found inflated and apparently saved the lives of Jasraj and Surili, who were in the front seat.

The speedometer of the car suggested that the car was travelling at 60 kmph. “The speed dial needle often dips as soon as a vehicle involved in a crash comes to a halt,” said Rajinder Singh.

“We heard a loud thud and ran towards the scene. The occupants were shrieking in pain. The middle-aged man (Jaspal Bhatti) was alive. We immediately called up the ‘108’ ambulance service,” said Surjit Singh, a truck driver who was at the Shahkot Truck Union office when the mishap took place.

The four were taken to the local Orthonova Hospital on Nakodar road around 2 am. Bhatti was declared dead by a team of four doctors, led by Dr Harpreet Singh around 3 am. Four doctors besides the hospital staff treated the casualties.

“We performed CPR on Bhatti for over 40 minutes but we could not resuscitate him. He had died on the way to the hospital. There was no major visible injury mark on the body, barring a bump on the forehead. Bhatti apparently died due to internal injuries caused by base skull fracture. Blood was oozing out of the ears and nostrils,” said Dr Harpreet Singh.

He said he got a call from a Ludhiana-based doctor, who was known to Bhatti, around 1.45 a.m. “He told me that he was shifting Bhatti and others to our hospital. While we tried to resuscitate Bhatti, the other three were shifted to the DMCH around 5.30 am. They were out of danger,” said Dr Harpreet Singh.

Bhatti’s family members, including his brother-in-law and Anandpur Sahib MLA Dr Daljit Cheema, reached the hospital soon after learning about the accident.

Bhatti’s body was shifted to the local Civil Hospital, where a post-mortem was conducted.

“The death was caused by skull fracture and head injuries,” said Dr Sanjay Khanna, who conducted the autopsy.

The body was handed over to the family members and friends around 12 pm.

Hundreds thronged the Sector-25 cremation ground in Chandigarh to pay their last respects to Bhatti this evening. Jasraj performed the last rites of his father. Bhatti’s wife Savita and daughter Rabia were inconsolable, as people from all walks of life bade a tearful adieu to the satirist. Those present included Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Anandpur Sahib MP Ravneet Bittu, artistes Jasbir Jassi, comedians Gurpreet Singh Ghuggi and Bhagwant Maan.

[Azaad]

Hundreds pay tribute to king of satire

LAST GOOD-BYE: This picture of Jaspal Bhatti was taken by Tribune’s Pawan Sharma a day before his death.

Gurpreet Ghuggi consoles Bhatti's wife Savita

Chandigarh, October 25

Hundreds of people thronged the Sector 25’s cremation ground to pay their tribute to the king of satire and spoof. Jaspal Bhatti’s injured son, Jasraj Bhatti, performed the last rites.

Bhatti’s wife Savita and daughter Rabia were extremely inconsolable and left the pyre soon after it was assigned to flames. People from all walks of life, including politicians, artists, fans, relatives and family friends bit their last adieu to the king of comedy.

Prominent among those who attended his funeral included Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Anandpur Sahib MP Ravneet Bittu, Puspa Gujaral Science City, Kapurthala, chairman RS Khandpur, Olympian Pargat Singh, singer Jasbir Jassi, comedian-actor Gurpreet Singh Ghuggi, Bhagwant Maan and several other artistes, folk singers, comedians, besides a number of bureaucrats and colleagues of Jaspal from the Punjab State Electricity Board.

Several remembered their association with Bhatti. His close friend Tajinder Singh said they knew each other for over 30 years and it was commendable that he attained so much with his hard work and dedication.— TNS

Singer Gurdas Mann

Bhatti's son Jasraj Bhatti

Punjabi comedian Meher Mittal

Joe Bath with Bhatti's mother Dhian Kaur The man who made everybody laugh, left everyone grieving at the end. It was too shocking to learn about his death. I am sure his best was yet to come.

—PCC president Capt Amarinder Singh Bhatti, through his rare sarcastic humor and wit, made enormous contributions in sensitising the general public, especially at the grass-roots level, in eradicating social evils from society

—Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. He was a unique artiste. His comments were lucid but sharp in harping on his point in ridiculing the societal and political evils.

—Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh His demise has left a vaccum in the Punjabi film industry. He popularised clean and socially relevant humour and his satire made people aware of their rights. He will always be remembered for his wit and humour.”

— Anil Joshi, Cabinet Minister “Received another shockingly terrible news of the demise of Jaspal Bhatti saab today. I don’t know what’s happening. So sad...”

— Actor Jimmy Sheirgill “I used to tell Jaspal Bhatti that he does fantastic comedy so seriously. He was also a great supporter of the anti-corruption campaign”

— Anupam Kher "Bhatti created social awareness using humour. He tackled social evils like corruption through his satire. May his soul rest in peace."

-AS Makkar, president, SGPC "He had the art of doing comedy seriously. We will be dedicating our annual cultural festival (Oct 26, 27) to his memory"

-CS Chadha, Chief Khalsa Diwan "He played an active role in revolutionarising political satire and had achieved a cult status"

—Sumeet Singh, Mohd Rafi Memorial Society "He helped increase awareness on social evils. His contribution to society is laudable."

— Kanwarpal Singh, Dal Khalsa.

[Azaad]

He will be remembered for his wry one-liners

Bhatti dared to call spade a spade, and yet was an incredibly well-liked person

Jaspal Bhatti, the very mention of whose name would bring an involuntary smile to one’s lips, today evokes a heartfelt emotion of deep loss. Satirist, comedian, actor, director and columnist with The Tribune, Bhatti’s untimely demise in a road accident in the wee hours of Thursday morning leaves behind a void that would be hard to fill.

‘Irreplaceable’ is the word well-known comedian Gurpreet Ghuggi uses to describe Bhatti’s place in the world of laughter. He goes on to state that with him Punjab saw the advent of a new era of comedy that was a far cry from buffoonery. He says: “For here was a man who made people double up in laughter with his wry one-liners and not silly antics.”

Undeniably, Bhatti, who put Chandigarh on the laughter map of India and whose dead pan expression held millions in a thrall, set new refreshing standards of satire. He had the singular ability to infuse humour in everyday situations and address the common man’s problems through wit and jibes. Sarcasm was his forte and he knew how to use it effectively and purposefully. The man who mocked at one and all had the cheek to poke fun at himself too. Samples of this are ample on his official website. Even the credit of his films, including the latest “Power Cut” that hits the cinema on Friday and marks the debut of his son Jasraj Bhatti reads - (mis)directed by Jaspal Bhatti. Today Punjabi films might be ruling the roost but remember it was way back in 1998 that his Punjabi film “Mahaul Theek Hai” broke records and ran for over 13 weeks. If in his last feature film he spoofed the police force, “Power Cut” is a satire on the state’s power situation. Incidentally, this Punjab Engineering College graduate had got his first job in the Punjab State Electricity Board. Ironically, the man who dared to call spade a spade was an incredibly well-liked person “for people understood that he had no axe to grind,” said his close associate and actor of many serials Vinod Sharma.

If his uncanny sense of humour pulsated in his works right from his popular serials like “Ulta-Pulta”, “Flop Show” and the DVD film “Jija Ji” and much more, in person too he brimmed with it. Sharma recalls how Bhatti created a bouquet out of recycled products when he went to congratulate Rock Garden creator Nek Chand. The Nonsense Club that he founded in 1980s as a student of PEC was yet another testimony to his wacky ideas. But his barbs were not misplaced or misdirected. Not loud or vulgar either. No wonder Ghuggi says: “He never hurt anybody and even if he did lampoon them, I bet his subjects too would not have been able to resist a hearty laugh.” In fact, Ghuggi views him as someone who not only showed the way to many comedians of Punjab but also how to walk en route that path. One person who has walked along with Bhatti shoulder to shoulder is his wife Savita Bhatti. She has played an integral and stellar role in his work. Acting in his serials, she has been involved in his projects right from the stage of genesis, together creating work of consequence. Four years ago, to hone the talent of the region, they set up MadArts Jaspal Bhatti Film School.

Though Bhatti may not have got the credit for it, the fact remains that he was instrumental in carving a niche for the turbaned image of Sikhs, both on the television and in popular Hindi cinema. An actor of many Bollywood films like “Fanaa” and “Aa Ab Laut Chalen”, he sincerely believed that the unflattering portrayal of Sikhs in the Hindi cinema was a thing of the past.

The son of Punjab born in Amritsar in 1955 aspired to make a Hindi film too. On the anvil was also the mission to set up India’s first comedy school. But dreams die young. In his case much was achieved, yet there were many more miles to go. Alas, at 57, he has fallen asleep forever.

[chatanga]

i thought his "yatra" to the electric power station was soooo funny.

[West London Singh]

Who is the jaspal batthi bloke?

I'd never heard of him either until yesterday. Anyone's death is sad as it leaves grieving family members with heartache. I have always stated here, however, that I am distinctly uncomfortable with collective public grief that ensues with celebrity deaths. Men and women that couldn't have cared less when their own grandmother or auntie died are now overcome with grief at the death of someone that they had never even met.

[HKaur16]

I'd never heard of him either until yesterday. Anyone's death is sad as it leaves grieving family members with heartache. I have always stated here, however, that I am distinctly uncomfortable with collective public grief that ensues with celebrity deaths. Men and women that couldn't have cared less when their own grandmother or auntie died are now overcome with grief at the death of someone that they had never even met.

Someone with amazing talent like Jaspal Bhatti, when they pass away it impacts many people. Veer if you are uncomfortable then you don't have to read the thread no offense. He was one of the rare people who criticized corruption openly.

This was a very sad news I grew up watching him on tv he was a great person.