November 13 (Variety) – Indian actor Asif Basra, known for his starring role in 2006 film “Outsourced,” was found dead in Dharamsala, northern India, on Thursday. He was 53. The police are treating the death as a case of suicide.
Basra was born in Amravati, western India, in 1967. One of the few Indian actors to have several international credits, he debuted in Sam Firstenberg’s U.S./India co-production “Quicksand” (2002), starring Michael Dudikoff. He was also noticed for his roles in acclaimed Indian indies such as Anurag Kashyap’s “Black Friday” (2004) and Rahul Dholakia’s “Parzania” (2005).
Basra rose to international prominence as one of the leads in John Jeffcoat’s “Outsourced” (2006). The same year, he was in Michael O. Sajbel’s “One Night with the King,” where the cast also included Omar Sharif and Peter O’Toole.
In Bollywood, Basra had significant roles in “Jab We Met” (2007), “Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai” (2010) and “Kai Po Che” (2013). He was also known for his role in Gujarati-language film “Wrong Side Raju” (2016), co-produced by Kashyap’s Phantom Films.
In 2019, Basra featured in an episode of ITV series “The Good Karma Hospital.”
Professionally, 2020 was one of the best years for Basra. He had prominent roles in two acclaimed streaming series — Amazon Prime Video’s “Pataal Lok” and “Hostages” on Disney’s Hotstar.
“RIP Asif Basra.. A terrible loss of a talented, versatile artist. My deepest condolences to the family,” tweeted Bollywood and Hollywood star Priyanka Chopra Jonas.
“He was the most unassuming and genteel actor I have worked with,” Anurag Kashyap told Variety. “We spent a lot of time in Prithvi [theater] in our initial days and then he did a small part in ‘Black Friday.’ I am just shocked by the news. I only remember him smiling or laughing.”
“I haven’t worked with Asif but have known him for 20 years,” Hansal Mehta, director of upcoming Amazon original film “Chhalaang,” told Variety. “I used to meet him at Prithvi theater and the Dharamsala International Film Festival. Am just shocked beyond words. And terribly sad.”
Kareena Kapoor Khan, who co-starred with Basra in “Jab We Met,” wrote on her Instagram story: “Rest in peace Asif Basra. Heartfelt condolences to the family and loves ones.”
“My sincere condolences and prayers with the family and loves ones. RIP Asif Basra,” actor Anushka Sharma, who produced “Paatal Lok,” wrote on her Instagram story.
“It is unbelievable, yet another loss of a dear friend #AsifBasra – gem of a talent & full of life personality
Rest In Peace My Friend – More Power to Family,” tweeted Nawazuddin Siddiqui, star of Netflix original film “Serious Men.”
Basra’s co-star in “Kai Po Che,” Sushant Singh Rajput, was found dead at his Mumbai home in June.
