He is one of India's favourite actors because of his comic timing on the screen. But Satish Shah recently proved that he is as good when it comes to delivering in reality and that too against what is presumably a serious act of racist mockery.
The 71-year-old actor recently travelled to the UK and at London's Heathrow Airport, he overheard allegedly racist remarks from a couple of staff members discussing how he could afford to fly with first-class tickets. But the man did not let it go and responded to it in his signature style which is fun-filled.
Taking to Twitter later to share his experience, Shah said, “I replied with a proud smile “because we are Indians” after I overheard the Heathrow staff wonderingly asking his mate”how can they afford 1st class?”(sic)”
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It was only a matter of time before the tweet went viral and a deluge of remarks poured in as netizens loved the actor's reply and approved it.
Netizens react
One Twitter user responded to the award-winning actor who has excelled both in films and television saying, "You could have also told them, come and see our Delhi and Hyderabad airports and decide where Heathrow stands. I recently transited via Heathrow. It is like our old Mumbai airport."
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Another said, “He was surprised probably because they looted us for 200years n took away 45 trillion dollar wealth from India. N still Indians can afford first class? It's very strange for them...(sic)”
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A third user said, “Next time please add one more line that whatever they are affording today is also because of Indian money, their ancestors looted.”
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Another one said, "Great Answer. He should also check with his Prime Minister".
The current prime minister of the UK is Rishi Sunak, the country's first British-Asian premier.
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Yet another user said, "Superb reply! It's so good to see Indians giving back to them in their own language.
We are way past being a "third world country" by now! We are a superpower..."
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About Satish Shah
The veteran actor did his first film in the early 1970s but he is most remembered for his roles in films such as 'Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro' (1983) and television shows such as 'Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi' (1984) and 'Sarabhai vs Sarabhai' (2004). He was last seen in the 2014 film 'Humshakals'.
A BRITISH Indian charity is building a sports and community complex in west London to strengthen local cultural ties. The project, known as the India Gardens Sports and Community Complex, is being developed by Shree Kutch Leva Patel Community (SKLPC) UK and is scheduled to open in June 2027, a statement said.
The 18-acre site in Northolt, valued at £1.1 million, has been designed as a modern hub for education, sport and social activities.
Approved by the Ealing council in 2018, it is one of the largest community-led developments of its kind in the area.
Once complete, India Gardens will provide 34,000 sq ft of internal facilities, including a cricket pavilion, sports hall, nursery, members’ lounge and multi-purpose spaces for weddings, exhibitions and cultural gatherings, the statement added. Outdoor areas will feature landscaped gardens, walking routes and sports fields.
SKLPC UK said the centre will serve both its 25,000 members from London and beyond, and it will also open its doors to schools, clubs and residents.
It described India Gardens as “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to celebrate shared roots, while creating a space for learning and recreation.
Founded in 1972 by members of the Kutch Leva Patel community, SKLPC UK began as a group of migrants who met to preserve their traditions and mutual support networks.
The organisation opened its first Samaj Hall in West Hendon in 1980 and now operates centres in Bolton, Oldham, Cardiff and London. Over the decades, SKLPC UK has combined cultural work with philanthropy, raising more than £1.75m for disaster relief and charitable causes, including more than £1m for victims of the 2001 Bhuj earthquake in Gujarat. It continues to promote education and welfare initiatives such as its Saturday school and the Vadil Sammelan, launched in 2024 to support senior citizens.
The India Gardens project symbolises its commitment to community service and intergeneration engagement in Britain, the charity said.
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