Shah Rukh Khan’s school teacher, Brother Eric Steve D’Souza, passed away on Sunday in Goa. The actor had previously spoken about Brother D’Souza, and said that he was the “only man in the world that I really look up to.” In the last few months, when D’Souza’s health was declining, Congress leader Szarita Laitphlang had requested Shah Rukh to meet him. As per Meghalaya Monitor, Szarita said that the meeting never took place.

During an interview on Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai in 2002, Shah Rukh had described D’Souza as his “guiding light.” Brother Eric Steve D’Souza taught Shah Rukh at Delhi’s St. Columba’s School. “If there is one man in this whole wide world… I don’t have idols or anyone that I look up to, but he is the only man in the world that I really look up to. He taught us how to play football, to play hockey. I had a lot of energy and he channelised it so we didn’t become taporis, or gundas or badmaash because it’s very easy to get misled during youth. And he made sure that he gave us enough work and with great fun, he used to play the guitar for us, sing songs for us. He really is the guiding light of my life. I love him,” he had said.

Shah Rukh also said, “I speak for all of us in the C-gang and everyone who’s educated at St Columba’s or elsewhere where he is teaching… if there is anybody else on this earth if I think [of] after my parents and look up to, it’s Brother D’Souza.”

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A few months ago, Szarita Laitphlang shared her “final plea” on social media and requested Shah Rukh to come and meet Brother D’Souza. “This feels like my final plea, my last attempt to reach out to @iamsrk to humbly request his presence by the side of Brother Eric S D’Souza. Each day, Brother ‘s health weakens, his condition worsening with every passing moment. Mumbai, just an hour away by flight, holds the possibility of bringing solace to his ailing heart. DASU has left an indelible mark on all of our lives, shaping us into who we are today through his unwavering commitment to instilling values. Your visit would mean the world to him, a beacon of hope in his darkest hours,” she shared.

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