On Sunday, Bollywood celebrities Jaya Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, and Shabana Azmi were among those who attended a prayer meet for late filmmaker Rakesh Kumar in Andheri, Mumbai. According to reports, the filmmaker died on Thursday after a long battle with cancer. He was in his 80s.
Jaya and Abhishek Bachchan drove away from the prayer meet in separate cars. Shabana Azmi was also seen when she arrived.
Rakesh Kumar began his career as an assistant director on Prakash Mehra’s 1973 blockbuster Zanjeer before making his directorial debut with Khoon Pasina in 1977. His filmography also includes Commander, Kaun Jeeta Kaun Haara, and Suryavanshi. His wife, son, and daughter survive him.
Rakesh Kumar was known for directing films starring Amitabh Bachchan, including Mr. Natwarlal, Do Aur Do Paanch, and Yaarana. The actor recently wrote his reluctance to attend his final rites on his blog. “No I shall hesitate to go to his funeral… for I shall not be able to bear the sight of an inert Rakesh! You made many of us prominent with your innovative ideas for story and film, Rakesh, and you shall ever be remembered,” he wrote in his blog.
He mentioned how he rose from film to another and added, “One by one they all leave… But some like Rakesh leave an imprint that is hard to remove or forget… his sense of screenplay and direction, writing and execution on the spur of the moment and the fun times on location during Nattu and Yaarana .. his complete faith in his worth… and the ease with which he would grant us the liberty of skipping shootings on the odd day, just to be able to spend time relaxing fooling around and being in the company of uncontrollable laughter and gaiety…”