His time at St. Xavier's was important for both personal and professional reasons and he made many friends there, including Sunil Gavaskar, who was a contemporary.

In 1973, while Shaikh was in his final year of law school, MS Sathyu approached him for his directorial debut Garam Hawa.

[17] He first gained recognition as a quiz master on radio, but it was his participation as an anchor on Bombay Doordarshan shows such as Yuvadarshan and Young World that made him a household name.

[19] He went on to act in several notable films such as Satyajit Ray's Shatranj Ke Khiladi (Chess Players) (1977), Noorie (1979), Chashme Buddoor (1981), Umrao Jaan (1981), Bazaar (1982), Saath Saath (1982), Rang Birangi (1983), Kissi Se Na Kehna (1983), Ek Baar Chale Aao (1983), Katha (1983), Ab Ayega Mazaa (1984), Salma (1985), Faasle (1985), Peechha Karo (1986), Biwi Ho To Aisi (1988), and Maya Memsaab (1993).

He was paired opposite Shabana Azmi in Sagar Sarhadi's Lorie, Kalpana Lajmi's Ek Pal and Muzaffar Ali's Anjuman (1986) and then in the play Tumhari Amrita.

In his heyday in 1970s and 1980s, when Rajesh Khanna drove down a street, the traffic stopped — I don't mind not receiving this kind of adulation.

He appeared in Saas Bahu Aur Sensex (2008) and Lahore (2009), for which he won the 2010 National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Realbollywood.com said about his performance in the film: "As a grieving father who won't allow his loss to be forgotten, he hits all the right notes treading that thin line between melancholy and maudlin with majestic grace.

His career on stage that began as a student at St. Xavier's College in the late 1960s reached its peak in the famous play Tumhari Amrita.

[24] [25] A sequel to this play was staged in 2004 titled Aapki Soniya, with Farooque Shaikh and Sonali Bendre as the only performers.

[28] He hosted the TV show Jeena Issi Ka Naam Hai, in which he interviewed celebrities from the Hindi film world.

[29] Farooque Shaikh died of a heart attack in the early hours of 28 December 2013 in Dubai, where he was on holiday with his family.

His funeral prayers, held in Mumbai at Millat Nagar Andheri Mosque on 30 December 2013 in the evening, were attended by many personalities, including Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi.