Coronavirus update: Veteran actor Yusuf Husain dies at 73

Veteran actor Yusuf Husain, father-in-law of filmmaker Hansal Mehta, died of complications resulting from COVID-19 in Mumbai early today. He was 73.

A regular presence in several films, Yusuf Husain played supporting roles in films like Dil Chahta Hai (2001), Dhoom (2004), Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi (2005), Apaharan (2005), Dhoom 2 (2006), Shahid (2013) and Raees (2017). He was last seen in the Netflix original Typewriter (2019), starring Purab Kohli.

Hansal Mehta recollected a moving incident when Yusuf Husain's kindness enabled him to complete his National award-winning film Shahid, starring Rajkummar Rao.

Mehta wrote, "I had completed two schedules of Shahid. And we were stuck. I was troubled. A non-existent career as a filmmaker was almost finished. He came up to me and said I have a fixed deposit and it is of no use to me if you are so troubled. He wrote a cheque. Shahid was completed." Mehta described him as 'not my father-in-law, but my father'.

Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra also mourned the actor's passing, describing him as the 'essence of Awadh'. Mishra directed the late actor in one of his best works, Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi.

Yusuf Husain often played fatherly roles in films throughout his career. He was also seen in the television series Yudh (2014) alongside Amitabh Bachchan.