Kumar Shahani, Doyen of Parallel Cinema, No More

New Delhi: Filmmaker Kumar Shahani, who is considered a doyen of parallel cinema in India, passed away at the age of 83.

He is remembered for his iconic movies like Maya Darpan, Char Adhyay and Kasba. He died on Sunday night at a hospital in Kolkata, informed his close friend and actor Mita Vashisht.

“He passed away due to age-related health issues at a hospital in Kolkata. He was ailing and his health had been declining. It’s a deep personal loss,” Vashisht, who worked with the director on Vaar Vaar Vaari, Khayal Gatha and Kasba, said.

Shahani is survived by his wife and two daughters.

Shahani born in Larkana, Sindh, shifted to Mumbai along with family after the Partition in 1947.

He debuted in film direction with Maya Darpan in 1972. The film was based on Hindi writer Nirmal Varma’s short story. It was followed by Tarang in 1984 starring Amol Palekar and Smita Patil. This film received a national film award. His Khayal Gatha, explored the relationship of the Khayal genre of music with Indian classical dance and featured Rajat Kapoor and Mita Vashisht.