NFDC mourns on Mani Kaul's death

Mumbai/New Delhi, July 6 (IANS) The National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) has mourned the death of eminent filmmaker Mani Kaul, describing him as a 'legend' who would be missed by film connoisseurs and students of cinema.

Kaul died in New Delhi early Wednesday following prolonged illness. He was 66.

'Mani Kaul was truly a pioneer of new Indian cinema and we deeply mourn his loss. He was a legend whose loss will be mourned by all film connoisseurs and students of cinema,' NFDC managing director Nina Lath Gupta said in a statement.

'We at NFDC have had the privilege of closely working with him in 'Ashad Ka Ek Din' (1971) and 'Duvidha' (1973) where he was the producer and 'Uski Roti' (1970) and 'Nazar' (1989) both of which he directed for us,' she added.

His bond with NFDC grew stronger over the years and he was in the forefront of encouraging young talented filmmakers, Gupta remembered.

'He essayed the role of a mentor and a creative producer in our film 'Anhey Ghorhey Da Daan', which is currently in post production. We were truly looking forward to our involvement as co-producers in his new directorial venture,' said Gupta.

'With his demise NFDC has lost a guiding force and the country has lost an iconic filmmaker,' she added.

A Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) graduate, Kaul breathed his last around 1 a.m. at his home in New Delhi after he was discharged from a hospital Tuesday night, filmmaker Shyam Benegal said.

'I had lost touch with him for a long time. But I came to know that he died around 1 a.m. in the morning at his house in New Delhi. He was suffering from some sort of cancer,' Benegal, who used to stay close to Kaul in south Mumbai for a few years, told IANS.