Veteran journalist, poet, and filmmaker Pritish Nandy passed away at 73 in Mumbai on Wednesday, sources confirmed. A Padma Shri awardee, Nandy succumbed to a cardiac arrest at his residence in south Mumbai. His last rites were conducted the same evening.
Actor and good friend Anupam Kher remembered Nandy through a deeply heartfelt social media message, referring to him as “fearless and larger than life”. Kher was reminiscing how Nandy used to support him during his difficult days in the city, not letting anyone malign him. “He surprised me by putting me on the cover of Filmfare and The Illustrated Weekly. I will always cherish those moments,” he noted, admitting they had grown away from each other in the latter years of life.
Nandy was a multifaceted personality, a former member of the Rajya Sabha representing the Shiv Sena, an animal rights activist, and a celebrated literary figure. He wrote about 40 books of poetry in English and translated works from Bengali, Urdu, and Punjabi. His company, Pritish Nandy Communications (PNC), was behind acclaimed films such as Sur, Kaante, Jhankaar Beats, Chameli, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, and Pyaar Ke Side Effects. The production house also presented the popular web series Four More Shots Please!
Bollywood luminaries paid tribute to Nandy’s legacy. Neil Nitin Mukesh extended heartfelt condolences to his family and praised his contributions, while Ranvir Shorey lauded Nandy’s ability to elevate talent in the film industry, calling him a “maverick.”
According to the website of PNC, Nandy was a maverick of his times that revolutionized the Indian media and entertainment space when he was heading one of India’s first-ever listed media group as its chairman. He also received the UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Award, the EM Forster Literary Award, Friends of Liberation War Honour from Bangladesh, and innumerable awards at international cinema. The site lovingly addresses him as an “enchantment weaver in words” for the “incredible India” where creativity meets inspiration.
