"We have lived enough. We should not be a burden to anyone,” theater, film and television actor Dinyar Contractor, who mostly essayed comic roles, had stated six days after he was honored with a Padma Shri (see "Medal for his mirth,” Parsiana, April 7-April 20, 2019). The Parsiana representative had noted then that "the thought of resuming rehearsals in May (2019) brings a cheer to his voice.” However, the 77-year-old, who took to acting professionally 55 years ago, passed away on June 5, 2019 due to age-related illnesses.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted on June 5 that "Contractor was special because he spread lots of happiness. His versatile acting brought smiles (to) several faces.”
Dinyar Contractor (inset and above) on stage with
Ruby Patel in Rang Rasiya Photo: Laughter in the House!
Journalist and author of Laughter in the House! on the subject of Parsi theater Meher Marfatia told Parsiana on June 6 that Contractor "had only to stride on stage and the very entry got delighted audiences clapping nonstop... He could ad lib matchlessly. It was relentless, the way he kept up a stream of unscripted lines for so long that his co-star or compere of a (comedy) revue like Laughter in the House (based on her book) was rendered speechless.” While working backstage for the staging of Laughter in the House - Part 2 in 2017, Contractor was performing gags from a wheelchair. "I’ll never forget how he thought nothing of calling his physiotherapist to the National Centre for the Performing Arts’ green room,” recalled Marfatia. "Exercises done, he returned to rehearsals… truly believing the show must go on.”
Fund-raiser for the Delhi Parsi Anjuman (DPA) Feroza Jassawala told Parsiana on June 6, "Who knew the September 1, 2018 staging of Bairao no Bahubali (to raise funds for the DPA, see "Delhi does it again,” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, October 7, 2018) would be his last performance ever on stage?” She stated that Contractor had called her in April this year to say that he would be in Delhi on August 15, 2019 for the President’s garden party and was proposing a new play!