Renowned writer, director and ad filmmaker, Pradeep Sarkar passed away in Mumbai today.
He was 67 years old and had been suffering from kidney disease.
His famous Bollywood movies included ‘Parineeta’, Laga Chunari Mein Daag’, Mardaani and Helicopter Eela.
Mr Sarkar had also worked on several web series like ‘Cold Lassi Aur Chicken Masala’, ‘Forbidden Love’ and ‘Arranged Marriage’. The founder of Apocalypso Filmworks, Sarkar had also worked on more than 3000 ad films, including iconic campaigns like Cadbury’s “Pappu Paas Ho Gaya”, Eveready’s “Give Me Red” and Catch Masala’s “Chinese Whisper”.
His demise has come as a shock to his friends in the industry. Celebrities like Vidya Balan, Rani Mukerji, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Dia Mirza, Sakshi Tanwar and Divyanka Tripathi attended his last rites.
Rani Mukerji expressed regret for not meeting the director before his passing. She added that Pradeep Sarkar’s demise is a significant loss to both his family and the movie industry.
Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri tweeted that the industry has lost another gem. Kangana Ranaut too tweeted a video of her last meal with the director. The actress said her heart was sinking as she was eagerly looking forward to working with him for her film ‘Noti Bondini’.