“No actor from Bollywood or even Hollywood is actively involved on cinema screen at the age of 90. I am the ONLY one.” A proud, but without sounding egoistic, Ramesh Deo was talking while sitting at Sound Ideaz Academy.

Born in a wealthy ‘Rajput‘ family, Ramesh Deo did a small scene with Pritviraj Kapoor in a Hindi film ‘Aawara‘ when he was a child and debuted in the form of a cameo in a Marathi film ‘Paatlachi Por’. His first big break as a leading man came in 1956, through noted director Raja Paranjape’s Marathi film ‘Aandhala Magto ek Dola’. Later he went on to become a much loved actor of Marathi movie world and was also appreciated as a versatile actor in the Hindi film world. He acted in his first Hindi film ‘Aarti’ in 1962. He has to his credit more than; 350 Hindi 240 Marathi 70 Gujarathi, and a few Bengali, Bhojpuri, South Indian; films. He has also done around 30 plays on Marathi stage. He and Seema Deo (Nalini Saraf, who became his wife later on) was the much sought after leading pair, in Marathi Movie World those days.

His Marathi movie ‘Jagachya Pathivar’, gained immense popularity. Later, he was a part of Hindi films like ‘Anand’, ‘Saraswatichandra’, ‘Jaise ko Taisa’, ‘Dus Lakh’, ‘Zameer’, ‘Khilona’, ‘Rampur ka Laxman’, ‘Kora Kagaz’, to name a few. He was last seen in a hindi movie ‘Jolly LLB’ in a small but significant role.

Though he was slightly in awe of superstar Rajesh Khanna initially, they became great friends later on. Remembering the superstar, Mr. Ramesh Deo said “When I used to visit Rajesh Khanna in his last days, ‘the once superstar’ was anguished and used to say even after calling people over, they do not visit me, giving flimsy excuses”. Ramesh Deo mentioned that he has worked with all noted Marathi and Hindi film directors. He has worked with Hindi film industry’s first family Kapoors. He has worked with all the Kapoors starting with Prithiraj Kapoor, but except recent Ranbir Kapoor.

Ramesh Deo has his own production house and has produced many feature films, Television serials, Advertising films. In fact he narrated an incident about dream girl Hema Malini, being reluctant to be featured on small screen in an ad.

He said, “Now when I meet her I remind her about that and tell her that nowadays you are all over small screen (she being honorable Member of Parliament)”. He has acted with all the top heroes of his time, one regret being his movie with Dilip Kumar couldn’t see the light of the day (Kalinga). Currently, he is busy shooting for a Marathi film ‘Sankasur’.

Long live Mr Ramesh Deo. Our best wishes are always with you.