Sagar Sarhadi, veteran writer-director, passes away at 88

This picture has been used for representational purpose (Photo/iStock)

Veteran writer-director Sagar Sarhadi breathed his last late Sunday night. He was 88. Sarhadi passed away at his residence in the neighbourhood of Sion (Mumbai), his nephew filmmaker Ramesh Talwar told PTI. "He passed away shortly before midnight. He wasn't keeping well for sometime and had even stopped eating. He passed away peacefully," Talwar said.

Sarhadi's last rites will be held at Sion crematorium at around 11 am, he added. Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit mourned the loss of the veteran on Twitter. He wrote, "Sad to know about d demise of Sagar Sarhadi ji a well-known writer, director due to heart attack. Some of his well-known films as writer were #KabhieKabhie #NOORIE #chandni #DoosraAadmi #Silsila. He also wrote &directed #Bazaar. It's a great loss to the film industry."

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta too mourned the loss of Sarhadi.

Born as Ganga Sagar Talwar in Baffa, near Abbottabad city, now Pakistan, the writer is said to have adapted the title 'Sarhadi' to carry with him the connection of the frontier province, after he migrated to Delhi aged 12. Sarhadi began his career writing Urdu short stories and became an Urdu playwright. Filmmaker Yash Chopra's 1976 Kabhi Kabhie, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Raakhee, opened the gates for his Bollywood career.

The writer collaborated with Chopra to pen screenplay in acclaimed films like Silsila (1981) and Sridevi and Rishi Kapoor starrer Chandni, for which he wrote the dialogues. In 1982, Sarhadi turned director with Bazaar, starring Supriya Pathak Shah, Farooq Shaikh, Smita Patil and Naseeruddin Shah. Sarhadi is also credited with writing dialogues for superstar Shah Rukh Khan's debut Deewana in 1992 and Hrithik Roshan's debut Kaho Na Pyaar Hai. Sarhadi is survived by his nephews and nieces.

Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from PTI