Rani Mukerji talks about Pradeep Sarkar, ‘He wanted a FaceTime call but…’

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24th Mar, 2023. 05:55 pm
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Sarkar is best known for helming the 2005 drama.
Rani expressed her regret for not having the opportunity.
Tahir Raj Bhasin said he will always be grateful to the late director.

The director’s passing this morning came as a shock to Rani Mukerji, who worked with him on Laaga Chunari Mein Daag and Mardaani. They had been planning to meet up shortly. Sarkar, who is best known for helming the 2005 drama Parineeta, passed away at Lilavati hospital in Mumbai’s Bandra area, according to his wife Panchali. He was 67.

When Sarkar called to congratulate the actor on her most recent film, Mrs. Chatterjee vs. Norway, Rani Mukerji claimed that they had spoken. “I’m absolutely stunned to hear about Dada’s demise. In fact, I spoke to him just the other day while visiting the Golden Temple in Amritsar. He had called to tell me about my movie, and we had a long conversation. He insisted on a facetime call, but the network was bad that day, so I was unable to video contact him.

“We were planning to meet this week when I got back but it is just so unexpected. His wife (Panchali boudi) called me at 4 am when this happened, it is really sad and shocking that dada has passed away like this,” the 45-year-old actor said in a statement.

Rani added that the film business and his family both suffered greatly from Sarkar’s passing. “He was also shooting these last few days so I don’t know how it all transpired in just a matter of a few hours. I’m sure everybody who knows Dada will feel his loss deeply the way I’m feeling it. I had a great connection with him, we’ve done a lot of work together over the years, so it’s literally like losing a family member.”

“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 expressed her regret at not having the opportunity to meet the filmmaker before his passing. “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 will hold on to my last memory of him being so happy and excited for me as he had called me to share the feedback that he was getting for my film and me from all over,” she said.

Actor Tahir Raj Bhasin said he will always be grateful to the late director, who gave him his big break with the 2014 film Mardaani. “I will always remember him with eternal gratitude as the man who trusted me with Mardaani. He was a maestro whose experience and guidance gave me the confidence to act to my fullest potential in my debut film,” He was a maestro whose knowledge and instruction gave me the confidence to play to my utmost capacity in my maiden picture.

Bhasin, 35, claimed that Sarkar served as a mentor to him and inspired him to develop his portrayal for the movie’s antagonist Karan “Walt” Rastogi. He was an exceptional visionary who was ahead of his time. “He was a visionary par excellence, ahead of his time. He lives on in the films he created. May he rest in peace,” he added.

Rani Mukerji talks about Pradeep Sarkar, ‘He wanted a FaceTime call but…’

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