Top casting director Seher Aly Latif passes away

Seher Latif, who succumbed to a cardiac arrest, contributed to a spate of Indian and international projects

Casting director Seher Aly Latif, known for her work on films like 'The Lunchbox' and 'Durgamati', passed away yesterday due to a cardiac arrest, her associate and director Neeraj Udhwani said. She was in her early 40s. The co-founder of independent production company Mutant Films, Latif backed the Netflix series 'Bhaag Beanie Bhaag', starring Swara Bhasker, and 'Maska', a film for the streaming service, which featured Manisha Koirala.

Udhwani, who directed 'Maska,' said Latif was admitted to Lilavati Hospital eight days ago due to kidney failure. “There was some infection, which caused renal failure. She was admitted last weekend. She was on antibiotics and was recovering. But today she suffered a cardiac arrest and suddenly it was all over,” the filmmaker said.

Latif was known for her extensive work as a casting director on projects like mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan’s biopic, The Man Who Knew Infinity, starring Dev Patel, filmmaker Gurinder Chadha’s period film Viceroy’s House and Bhumi Pednekar-fronted drama feature Durgamati.

She was the Indian casting associate for acclaimed international projects like Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty, Julia Roberts-starrer Eat Pray Love, the Netflix series Sense8, season four of the Showtime espionage thriller Homeland and the BBC One/AMC series, McMafia. 

Latif’s popular works

. Latif was attached as the executive producer on films like Shakuntala Devi, starring Vidya Balan, and Akshay Kumar’s Gold.

. Some of her international credits include Dev Patel-starrer The Man Who Knew Infinity, and Eat Pray Love, Furious 7, Viceroy’s House, McMafia and Sense 8, in which she served as the Indian casting associate. 

. Irrfan Khan-starrer The Lunchbox, and Dia Mirza’s Kaafir, were other offering that Latif worked on.

. Maska, starring Manisha Koirala and Nikita Dutta, is among the Netflix projects she was associated with.

Tribute pour in

. One of the kindest, most loving people Mumbai gifted my life with. Still trying to process this unreal news. Travel on into the light, my dearest, sweetest, Seher. The unpredictable, ghastly shortness of life remains baffling - Nimrat Kaur, actor

. I don’t believe it. Unfair parting with a kind soul and real friend. I hope there is another side - Ritesh Batra, filmmaker

. The heaven will be blessed with your mushy hugs and infectious smile. Still can’t fathom this though. - Nikita Dutta, actor

. Her default expression was a smile. You would always find her smiling. She was one of the nicest, kindest people I ever met. - Neeraj Udhwani, director

With inputs from Agencies

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