EXCLUSIVE: 'Mahabharat' Actor Satish Kaul Struggles For Basic Needs Amid Lockdown, Shares His Tale Of Hardship

Veteran actor Satish Kaul, who essayed the role of Lord Indra in BR Chopra’s hit show ‘Mahabharat’, is going through a rough phase in his life. The 74-year-old actor, who has also worked in shows like ‘Circus’ and ‘Vikram Betal’, is forced to live in a small house in Ludhiana. He has to pay Rs 7500 to his landlord but he is struggling to arrange money for the house rent and medicines.

Satish Kaul got divorced from his wife just one year after his marriage. His wife remarried and went to Durban, South Africa with their son.

Satya Devi, who calls herself a Satish Kaul fan, has been taking care of the actor since the last 6 years. Several people have even questioned their relationship but Satya continues to support the ailing actor. The 68-year-old lady, who has four children, is taking good care of Kaul’s needs. "I will always support him," Satya Devi told ABP News.

Veteran actor Satish Kaul, who essayed the role of Lord Indra in BR Chopra’s hit show ‘Mahabharat’, is going through a rough phase in his life. The 74-year-old actor, who has also worked in shows like ‘Circus’ and ‘Vikram Betal’, is forced to live in a small house in Ludhiana. He has to pay Rs 7500 to his landlord but he is struggling to arrange money for the house rent and medicines.

He added, "My problems have increased due to the lockdown. I am in dire need of money for my house rent, medicines and food. I hope people will come forward to help me."

Satish Kaul studied at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). Danny Denzongpa, Jaya Bhaduri, Aasha Sachdev and Anil Dhawan were his batch mates in 1969. After completing studies, Satish Kaul got an opportunity to work as a hero in many Punjabi films. He tried his hand in Hindi films too, but he didn’t get the kind of success he hoped. He worked with leading Bollywood actors of the previous era like Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Vinod Khanna. However, he couldn’t enjoy the name and fame in Bollywood which he got in Punjabi films.

Satish Kaul also revealed how he bagged the role of Devraj Indra In Mahabharat. "I was so distressed by lack of good work, opportunities and money that one day I went straight to the office of BR Chopra, the producer and director of 'Mahabharat'. I told him in a loud voice- 'If you don't give me work being a Punjabi yourself, then who will?' After this, BR Chopra immediately offered me the role of Lord Indra and gave me Rs 5,000 as advance. He asked me to come two days later and shoot for the show on the sets constructed in Film City’s Kranti Maidan." "If I get a chance to work in films even today, I will definitely do it. The love for acting is still alive in me," Satish Kaul concluded.

Satish Kaul, while exclusively talking to ABP News over the phone, said, "It’s not that I didn’t get any sort of help from people after losing everything and getting sick. The state government provided me Rs 5 lakh as financial aid. The money was spent on my treatment and medicines."

Satish Kaul was admitted to a hospital in Chandigarh after he suffered fracture in his hip bone in 2015. He has not been able to recover fully and faces problems in walking smoothly. After staying in the hospital for two-and-a-half years, Satish lived in old age home for one-and-a-half years.

Satish Kaul sold flat in Mumbai’s Versova for Rs 2.5 lakh so as to arrange funds for the medical treatment of his parents 25 years back. He used the remaining money for his younger sister’s wedding. The actor opened an acting school in partnership with someone but he incurred losses of over Rs 20 lakh.