Mumbai: Filmmaker and adman Pradeep Sarkar, best known for his 2005 Vidya Balan-Saif Ali Khan starrer “Parineeta”, died at a hospital early on Friday following a fever. He was 67.
Sarkar, who also directed a host of hit music videos, including Shubha Mudgal’s “Ab Ke Saawan” and Sultan Khan’s “Piya Basanti”, was admitted to the intensive care unit of Lilavati hospital in suburban Bandra. “He passed away between 3.10 am and 3.30 am at Lilavati hospital,” his wife Panchali said.
The filmmaker had viral fever on March 22. The fever subsided after medicine but not completely and he was rushed to hospital, she said.
“By the time we reached the hospital, his vitals started dropping. He was put on a ventilator in the ICU and was diagnosed with pneumonia. The infection attacked his lungs.
“According to doctors, he had many co-morbidities which weakened his immunity. His blood pressure was fluctuating. He had been quite weak since Covid hit him in July 2022,” Panchali said.
Sarkar, a gold medallist from Delhi College of Art, started his career in mainstream advertising in Delhi and shot many successful commercials, including for Tata Yellow Pages, ICICI Prudential, and Onida KY Thunder.
He is also remembered for his music videos such as Euphoria’s “Dhoom Pichak Dhoom” and “Maaeri” and Bhupen Hazarika’s “Ganga”.
Sarkar turned to direction with 2005’s period drama “Parineeta”, adapted from author Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s 1914 Bengali novella of the same name. The filmmaker won the National Award for best debut film of a director for the Vidya Balan-Saif Ali Khan starrer.
Balan was a relatively new face who shot to prominence with the film. Sarkar cast her for the film after working with the actor on Euphoria’s music video “Kabhi aana tu meri gali’.
Some of his other directorial ventures were “Laaga Chunari Mein Daag” (2007), “Lafangey Parindey” (2010), “Mardaani” (2014), and “Helicopter Eela” (2018).
The news of Sarkar’s sudden death shocked his colleagues in the film industry.