A file photograph of Pradeep Sarkar and Rani Mukerji.

Mumbai:

Bollywood star Rani Mukerji, who had collaborated with filmmaker Pradeep Sarkar on Laaga Chunari Mein Daag and Mardaani, mentioned the director’s loss of life this morning got here as a shock as they’d deliberate to fulfill quickly. Sarkar, finest identified for guiding 2005 function movie Parineeta, died at Lilavati hospital in suburban Bandra right here, his spouse Panchali advised PTI. He was 67. Rani Mukerji, who labored with the director on Laaga Chunari Mein Daag and Mardaani, mentioned she interacted with Pradeep Sarkar a number of days in the past when he known as to congratulate the actor for her newest film Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway.

“I’m very very shocked by the news of Dada’s passing away. I, in fact, spoke to him just the other day when I had gone to Amritsar, to the Golden Temple where he had called me telling me about my film so we had a long chat, he was insisting to do a facetime call but that day the network was not good so I was unable to video call with him.

“We have been planning to fulfill this week once I received again however it’s simply so surprising. His spouse (Panchali boudi) known as me at 4 am when this occurred, it’s actually unhappy and stunning that dada has handed away like this,” the 45-year-old actor said in a statement.

Rani Mukerji said Pradeep Sarkar’s death is a great loss to his family as well as the film industry.

“He was additionally capturing these previous couple of days so I do not know the way it all transpired in only a matter of some hours. I’m positive all people who is aware of Dada will really feel his loss deeply the way in which I’m feeling it. I had an awesome reference to him, we have executed quite a lot of work collectively through the years, so it is actually like dropping a member of the family.

“My heart goes out to Boudi, Ronno and Raya as they were a very close-knit family and to all the people who worked in Dada’s production house and those who have been attached to him over the years. It’s going to be a great loss for them,” she added.

Rani Mukerji mentioned she is saddened that she couldn’t meet the director earlier than his demise.

“So I’m really very saddened by this because I was meant to meet him soon so I feel terrible about it. You never realise how life is so unpredictable, you speak to a person and the next thing you know is that the person is not there.

“I’ll maintain on to my final reminiscence of him being so joyful and excited for me as he had known as me to share the suggestions that he was getting for my movie and me from throughout,” she said.

Actor Tahir Raj Bhasin, who got his big break with Pradeep Sarkar’s 2014 movie Mardaani, said he will always remain grateful to the late filmmaker.

“I’ll at all times bear in mind him with everlasting gratitude as the person who trusted me with ‘Mardaani’. He was a maestro whose expertise and steerage gave me the arrogance to behave to my fullest potential in my debut movie,” the actor said in a statement.

Tahir Raj Bhasin, 35, said Pradeep Sarkar was like a mentor to him and gave him confidence to come up with his performance for the role of antagonist Karan “Walt” Rastogi in the movie.

“He was a visionary par excellence, forward of his time. He lives on within the movies he created. May he relaxation in peace,” he added.

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