Pradeep Shakti, a former Bollywood actor who became a restaurateur in Jersey City's Indian-immigrant neighborhood, died Saturday at the age of 60.
Shakti was the owner of the former Baba Hut restaurant on Newark Avenue. He also owned the Gongura restaurant in Edison.
The website Telugu Cinema reported that he had been "suffering from illness for some years."
Prior to moving to the United States in the 1990s, Shakti was known for playing the villain role in many Indian films.
He was born as Vasireddy Pradeep Shakti in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, according to the Sakshipost website.
He appeared in numerous movies including "Ladies Tailor," "Nayakudu" and Kamal Haasan's "Guna." He also directed films.
Riaz Wahid, a member of Jersey City Asian Merchant Association, said he knew Shakti since the former actor moved to Jersey City. They are both from South India and used to try out new recipes together.
"He was a very enterprising guy," Wahid said. "He'd take all kinds of risks. He was an, 'OK, let's go for it,' kind of guy."
Wahid said Shakti acted and produced a short film while living in the United States and was thinking of making another movie, but the day-to-day activities of his restaurants kept him busy.
"He was very humble," Wahid said. "Anybody who asked, he'd help them if he could."
Shakti lived in Staten Island and is survived by his wife and son.
Services for Shakti will be held noon to 2 p.m. tomorrow at Rosedale Cemetery and Crematory, 408 Orange Road, Montclair.