Mumbai, Oct. 7 (PTI): National Award-winning director Kundan Shah, best known for his dark satire Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro and the coming-of-age comedy Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, passed away at his home early today following a heart attack. He was 69.
Born on October 19, 1947, Kundan Shah studied direction at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune and made his directorial debut with Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro in 1983.
The movie, featuring Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Pankaj Kapur, Satish Shah, Satish Kaushik, Ravi Baswani, Bhakti Barve and Neena Gupta, went on achieve cult status although it was not a box office success.
More than three decades later, the film - revolving around two bumbling photographers, a canny newspaper editor and corrupt civic officials - continues to be relevant and is a scathing commentary on contemporary India.
In 2015, Kundan Shah returned the National Award he received for the film during the student protest at FTII over the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as its chairman.
After Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, Kundan Shah switched to television and teamed up with Saeed Akhtar Mirza for his debut TV show Nukkad. One of the most popular shows in the '80s, Nukkad gave the Indian audience memorable characters like Khopdi, Kaderbhai and Ghanshu Bhikari.
His next TV show was Wagle Ki Duniya, based on cartoonist R.K. Laxman's common man.
Following a long hiatus after Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, Kundan Shah returned to Bollywood in 1993 with Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, starring a young Shah Rukh Khan. The film received critical acclaim and is counted among Shah Rukh's best performances.
The superstar tweeted this afternoon: "Oh my friend I miss you. I know u will bring smiles around wherever u are... but this world will laugh less now. RIP."
Kundan Shah's next film was the box office hit Kya Kehna, Preity Zinta's debut film that released in 2000 after languishing in the cans for years. The story, as with other Kundan Shah films, was ahead of its times, dealing with teenage pregnancy and the stigma attached to it. He made five more films after Kya Kehna, but none of them succeeded at the box office.
Friend and colleague Satish Shah said: "I just got to know about Shah's demise. I have reached his house. It is really sad."
Filmmaker-actor Farhan Akhtar wrote: "Saddened to learn that Kundan Shah is no more. Will never forget his genuineness, his cinematic knowledge and his unique sense of humour. RIP."
Karan Johar tweeted: "RIP Kundan Shah... A cult filmmaker... A solid story teller."
Director Sudhir Mishra, who wrote the story and screenplay of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro along with Kundan Shah, said Kundan Shah had a huge influence on him when he was a 22-year-old and helped him find his voice.
"It's probably wrong but I can't help but imagine Kundan Shah and (editor) Renu Saluja meeting and arguing over a cut and maybe Ravi Baswani is mediating!" he said, referring to Jaane Bhi Do Yaron.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled Kundan Shah's death. "Anguished by the passing away of Shri Kundan Shah. He will be remembered for his wonderful usage of humour and satire to showcase the life & struggles of common citizens," he tweeted.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi said in a statement: "Kundan Shah's contribution to alternate cinema is remarkable. His movies and television series are epic and will inspire generations to come."
