--- name: "Saeed Jaffrey" canonical: "https://film.one/person/saeed-jaffrey" fi1m_id: "saeed-jaffrey" imdb_id: "nm0006762" tmdb_id: 11852 wikidata_id: "Q979990" roles: ["Actor"] born: "8 January 1929" died: "15 November 2015" reviewed_on_fi1m: 5 average_fi1m_score: 78 average_as: "actor" average_over: 5 updated: "2026-10-07T11:59:56.982584+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Saeed Jaffrey ## Identity Saeed Jaffrey - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/saeed-jaffrey - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** saeed-jaffrey - **IMDb ID:** nm0006762 - **TMDB ID:** 11852 - **Wikidata ID:** Q979990 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saeed_Jaffrey, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q979990, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006762/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/11852 Actor. Born 8 January 1929 in Maler Kotla, Punjab, India. Died 15 November 2015. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 8 January 1929, Maler Kotla, Punjab, India - **Died:** 15 November 2015 - **Active:** 1979–1994 - **Also known as:** Sayeed Jaffery, Saeed Jaferey, Saeed Jafferey, Saeed Jafferi, Saeed Jaffery, Sayed Jaffrey, Sayeed Jaffrey, Saeed Jaffry, Saeed Jafrey - **Average Fi1m score:** 78, as actor, over 5 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 78 (1), 1980s 78 (4) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 76 to 73 across 3 titles - **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 0 of 2 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 5, Comedy 2, History 2, Action & Adventure 1, Adventure 1, Crime 1 - **Screen time:** 8 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $120m across 3 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saeed_Jaffrey, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q979990, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006762/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/11852 ## Streaming the US now - **Amazon Prime Video:** [*A Passage to India*](https://film.one/film/a-passage-to-india.md) (71) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Saeed Jaffrey > A supporting actor who made charm look like a plan. Jaffrey played the businessmen and uncles of two film industries, in Britain and in India, and in *My Beautiful Laundrette* he made a man's greed so sociable that we ended up on his side. Watch the way Saeed Jaffrey enjoys himself in *My Beautiful Laundrette* (1985). Nasser Ali is a businessman in Thatcher's Britain who treats making money as the natural thing for a man to be doing, and the film could easily have held him at arm's length. Jaffrey does the opposite. Everything about Nasser is sociable: the voice, the smile that arrives before the sentence, the way he draws people towards his schemes as though he were offering them a drink. Kureishi's script gives him room to be funny without making him a joke about money, and Frears lets us like him while keeping our doubts. We came out of the film fond of a man we had every reason to disapprove of, and it was Jaffrey's plain pleasure in the part that did it. That pleasure was the whole method. He began in radio and theatre in Delhi in the early 1950s, trained in the United States and settled in Britain in 1965, and for a while Western cinema found him small parts. *The Guru* (1969) came early; Billy Fish in *The Man Who Would Be King* (1975), opposite Connery and Caine, was the role that made him a face. Then Satyajit Ray cast him as Mir Roshan Ali in *Shatranj Ke Khilari* (1977), and he had a second career in India to go with the first. The 1980s were the busy decade: Patel in *Gandhi* (1982), Hamidullah in *A Passage to India* (1984), *The Jewel in the Crown* on television, Laundrette, and more than a hundred Bollywood films, often as the figure that industry calls the naughty uncle. He was known for shooting several at once and keeping the detail straight in each. The complaint is that British producers kept offering him the same man: the urbane Asian in a good suit, the colonial go-between, the charming operator. It is a fair charge against the casting and a poor one against him. His own view of the job was blunt: "It doesn't matter if it's a six-line part. If they offer it to you, take it - enrich it with your background, and everything - so much that people will never forget it." The films bear him out. He made four with Merchant and Ivory, and the directors who did best by him, Ray and Frears among them, were the ones who let the charm and the calculation sit in the same scene rather than choosing one. He was a supporting actor by trade and, it seems, by temperament, so there is no single film to send a stranger to and say: that is him. Start with *My Beautiful Laundrette*, where we can vouch for every scene he is in, and then go to Ray. Nasser is a supporting part in a crowded film, and it is the one you remember. ## Biography Saeed Jaffrey was a British-Indian actor whose career spanned film, television, radio and stage over five decades. Born in Malerkotla, Punjab, British India, he studied at the University of Allahabad and the Catholic University of America before beginning his professional work in the early 1960s. He appeared in numerous British and international productions, including *The Man Who Would Be King* (1975) as Billy Fish, *The Chess Players* (1977) as Mir Roshan Ali, *Gandhi* (1982) as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, *A Passage to India* (1984) as Hamidullah, and *My Beautiful Laundrette* (1985) as Nasser Ali. His television roles included parts in *The Jewel in the Crown* (1984) and *Tandoori Nights* (1985–1987). Jaffrey was appointed OBE in 1995 for services to drama. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, theguardian.com, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (5) - *My Beautiful Laundrette* (1985), Fi1m 85, as Nasser Ali — [page](https://film.one/film/my-beautiful-laundrette.md) - *A Passage to India* (1984), Fi1m 71, as Hamidullah — [page](https://film.one/film/a-passage-to-india.md) - *The Jewel in the Crown* (1984), Fi1m 85, as Ahmed Ali Gaffur Kasim Bahadur, the Nawab of Mirat — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-jewel-in-the-crown.md) - *Gandhi* (1982), Fi1m 73, as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel — [page](https://film.one/film/gandhi.md) - *Minder* (1979), Fi1m 78, as Mukerjee — [page](https://film.one/tv/minder.md) ## Complete filmography (156) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Sanam Teri Kasam* (2009), as Vikram Verma - *Open Secrets* (2008), as Uncle Ravi - *Bunker Hill* (2008), as Mr. Farook - *Chicken Tikka Masala* (2005), as C. P. Chopra - *Kaun Hai Jo Sapno Mein Aaya* (2005), Actor - *Mad Dogs* (2002), as The Great Gazuka - *The Inspector Lynley Mysteries* (2002), series, as Akram Malik - *Snapshots* (2002), as Ibrahim - *Day of the Sirens* (2002), as Albert Page - *Mr In-Between* (2001), as Mr. Basmati - *Albela* (2001), as Sonia's father - *Perfect World* (2000), series, as Maggie's Father - *Naseeb* (1998), as Dharamdas Bajaj - *Guru in Seven* (1998), as Mr.Walia - *Achanak* (1998), as Arjun's Father - *Dildara* (1998), Actor - *Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai* (1998), as Komal's Father - *Aunty No. 1* (1998), as Colonel Sadanand Dhongre - *Animated World Faiths* (1998), series, as Mardana (voice) - *Uff! Yeh Mohabbat* (1997), Actor - *Deewana Mastana* (1997), as Chander Nandkishore Kapoor Sharma - *Udaan* (1997), as Mr. Sahay - *Mohabbat* (1997), as Madanlal "Madan" Kapoor - *Raja Ki Ayegi Baraat* (1997), as Rai Bahadur - Raja's & Ramesh's father - *Mahaanta* (1997), as Inspector General of Police - *Judaai* (1997), as Mr. Sahni - *The Journey* (1997), as Ashok - *Jaan* (1996), as Roshanlal - *English Babu Desi Mem* (1996), as Madadgar - *Bambai Ka Babu* (1996), as Vicky's Father (as Saeed Jafrey) - *Trimurti* (1995), as Bhanu - *Angrakshak* (1995), Actor - *Veergati* (1995), as Pooja's dad - *Kartavya* (1995), as Ramakant Sahay - *Saajan Ki Baahon Mein* (1995), as Ranvir Singh - *Prem* (1995), Actor - *Sauda* (1995), as Prakash's uncle - *Common As Muck* (1994), series, as Nat Prabhakar - *Two Oranges and a Mango* (1994), as Father - *Mustang: The Hidden Kingdom* (1994), as Khamtruel Rimpoche (voice) - *Stages* (1994), series, as Father - *Little Napoleons* (1994), series, as Vijay Shah - *Yeh Dillagi* (1994), as Bhanupratap Saigal - *Liberation* (1994), series, as Mohammad Ali Jinnah - *Salaami* (1994), Actor - *Baali Umar Ko Salaam* (1994), as Jalan - *Dilwale* (1994), as Police Commissioner - *Ek Hi Raasta* (1993), as Colonel Choudhry - *15th August* (1993), as SP Pratap Solanki - *Anmol* (1993), as S. J - *Aaina* (1993), as Mr. Mathur - *Aashik Aawara* (1993), Actor - *Nishchaiy* (1992), as Suryakant Gujral - *Laat Saab* (1992), as Rai Sahib - *Suryavanshi* (1992), as J.B. - *Vansh* (1992), as Police Commissioner - *Yaara Dildara* (1991), as Mr. Mehra - *Masala* (1991), as Lallu Bhai Solanki / Mr. Tikkoo / Lord Krishna - *Indrajeet* (1991), as Seth Din Dayal - *Henna* (1991), as Khan Baba - *Afsana Pyar Ka* (1991), Actor - *Ajooba* (1991), as Amir Khan - *Dil* (1990), as Mr. Mehra - *Aandhiyan* (1990), as Shakuntala's Father - *Ghar Ho To Aisa* (1990), as Ram Prasad - *Kishen Kanhaiya* (1990), as Vidya Charan - *Shandaar* (1990), as Chacha - *Pathar Ke Insan* (1990), Actor - *After Midnight* (1990), as Jas - *Chaalbaaz* (1989), as Vishwannath - *Hisaab Khoon Ka* (1989), Actor - *Aakhri Ghulam* (1989), Actor - *Daata* (1989), as Master Dinanath - *Manika, the Girl Who Lived Twice* (1989), Actor - *Eeshwar* (1989), as Masterji (Guest Appearance) - *Ram Lakhan* (1989), as Police Commissioner Arun Kashyap - *Hero Hiralal* (1988), Actor - *Khoon Bhari Maang* (1988), Actor - *The Deceivers* (1988), as Hussein - *Just Ask for Diamond* (1988), as Mr. Patel - *Vijay* (1988), as Inder Sen Gujral - *Tamas* (1988), series, as Karim Khan - *Ek Aadmi* (1988), Actor - *Avam* (1987), as Defense Advocate - *A View from a Window* (1987), Actor - *Partition* (1987), Actor - *Khudgarz* (1987), as Brij Bhushan Saxena - *Jalwa* (1987), as Yakub Saeed - *Aulad* (1987), as Anand's chacha - *A Killing on the Exchange* (1987), series, as Musquat Singh - *Love Match* (1986), as Karamat - *Sunday Premiere* (1986), series, as Karamat - *On Wings of Fire* (1986), as Jadav Rana, the Hindu King - *Kala Dhanda Goray Log* (1986), as Pinto Ustad - *Karishma Kudrat Kaa* (1985), as Lala Dayaluram - *Jaanoo* (1985), as Shastri - *My Beautiful Laundrette* (1985), as Nasser Ali — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/my-beautiful-laundrette.md) - *Ram Teri Ganga Maili* (1985), as Kunj Bihari - *Saagar* (1985), as Mr. D'Silva - *Phir Aayee Barsat* (1985), as Rajhan - *Tandoori Nights* (1985), series, as Jimmy Sharma - *A Passage to India* (1984), as Hamidullah — Fi1m 71, [page](https://film.one/film/a-passage-to-india.md) - *Nehru* (1984), as Narrator - *The Razor's Edge* (1984), as Raaz - *Bhavna* (1984), as Ram Kishen - *Me & My Girl* (1984), series, as Ranjit Sharma - *Mitch* (1984), series, as Zahoor Ahmed - *The Far Pavilions* (1984), series, as Biju Ram - *Mashaal* (1984), as Kishorilal - *The Jewel in the Crown* (1984), series, as Ahmed Ali Gaffur Kasim Bahadur, the Nawab of Mirat — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-jewel-in-the-crown.md) - *Kissi Se Na Kehna* (1983), as Lalaji - *Mandi* (1983), as Major Agarwal - *Masoom* (1983), as Suri - *The Courtesans of Bombay* (1983), Actor - *Gandhi* (1982), as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/gandhi.md) - *Star* (1982), as Rana - *Aagaman* (1982), Actor - *Chashme Buddoor* (1981), as Lalan Mian - *Beyond the Next Mountain* (1981), as Prime Minister - *Sphinx* (1981), as Selim - *Staying On* (1980), as Frankie Bhoolabhoy - *We Think the World of You* (1980), as The Maharaja - *Ek Baar Phir* (1980), as Saeed - *Minder* (1979), series, as Mukerjee — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/minder.md) - *The Last Giraffe* (1979), as Taj - *Tales of the Unexpected* (1979), series, as Dr Kunzru - *Death on the Nile* (1978), as Servant (uncredited) - *Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie's Pictures* (1978), as Sri Narain - *Strangers* (1978), series, as Narayan Bose - *Race for Survival* (1978), as Patel - *The After Dinner Joke* (1978), as Merchant - *Destiny* (1978), as Gurjeet Singh Khera - *The Chess Players* (1977), as Mir Roshan Ali - *Gangsters* (1976), series, as Aslam Rafiq - *Shuttlecock* (1976), as Dr. Haq - *Plays for Britain* (1976), series, as Dr. Haq - *Rumpole of the Bailey* (1975), series, as Dr. Ghulam Rahmat - *The Man Who Would Be King* (1975), as Billy Fish - *Two's Company* (1975), series, as The Doctor - *The Wilby Conspiracy* (1975), as Anil Mukerjee - *Gangsters* (1975), as Rafiq - *The Protectors* (1972), series, as President's Aide - *The Regiment* (1972), series, Actor - *The Horsemen* (1971), as District Chief - *Play for Today* (1970), series, as Gurjeet Singh Khera, Merchant, Rafiq - *Strange Report* (1969), series, as Ameen - *The Guru* (1969), as Murad - *Stalked* (1968), as The Pitch-Man - *Callan* (1967), series, Actor — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/callan.md) - *A Passage to India* (1965), as Mr Hamidullah - *BBC Play of the Month* (1965), series, as Mr. Hamidullah - *The Troubleshooters* (1965), series, as Sunil Seth - *Parable* (1964), as Circus Worker - *Ravi Shankar Plays a Raga* (1964), as Narrator - *The Creation of Woman* (1961), as Narrator (voice) - *The Sword and the Flute* (1959), as Narrator ## Gallery - ![Saeed Jaffrey](https://film.one/media/person/118502/gallery-aaeffe126d19.jpg) Saeed Jaffrey — Image via TMDB - ![Saeed Jaffrey](https://film.one/media/person/118502/gallery-111c0240af34.jpg) Saeed Jaffrey — Image via TMDB ## Awards ### Other awards — 3 won - Padma Shri in arts 2016: Padma Shri in arts (won) - Officer of the Order of the British Empire 1995: Officer of the Order of the British Empire (won) - Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor 1978: Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor (won), for *The Chess Players* *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/saeed-jaffrey