Director Raj Kanwar passes away in Singapore

Director Raj Kanwar passed away today in Singapore after a prolonged kidney ailment. He was there for a kidney transplant, but passed on before it could take place.

The acclaimed filmmaker, responsible for launching the careers of many a successful actor today, was suffering from multiple ailments when he was filming Sadiyaan, the launch pad of Shatrughan Sinha’s son, Luv and debutant Ferena Wazeir, in 2008. He had undergone many operations due to his stomach and kidney ailments, and as a result, had lost vision in his left eye.  But that had not deterred his spirit in the least. He was on dialysis all the time.

Ferena Wazeir, who worked with him in Sadiyaan, and is also the last actress Kanwar introduced on celluloid, spoke to Firstpost from London:

“It’s very shocking to hear of his passing. I hope he rests in peace because he was really suffering a lot due to his ailments and is in a better place now. But he has left a huge legacy of some fabulous films behind and he has launched so many careers of great actors. He was a very popular cinema director.

“Working with Raj_ji_ in my first Bollywood film was a lot of fun in Kashmir. Despite his ill health, he created this homely environment on set and was very persevering in his efforts to shoot and complete Sadiyaan; he never complained about his ill-health and kept shooting and completed the film.“His wife, Anita is so lovely and my thoughts are really with her and their family. I remember both Anil Kapoor and Salman Khan once telling me that once you work with Raj Kanwar, it is a learning ground and you can do any kind of Indian cinema after that experience. And I have to agree with that today. I learnt a lot from him. You had to think really fast and be on your feet and very aware when you worked with him and you had to trust him completely. His favourite line was, “Beta, is scene main maza nahin aa raha hai. Chalo isse badal dete hain.” He had a strong hold over the emotional pulse of the audience.”

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The director has given some memorable, not to mention, box office super hits in his career, like Deewana, Laadla, Har Dil Jo Pyaar Karega, Jeet, Judaai and Andaaz. He directed some of the finest talent and the biggest actors in the business, like Rekha, Sridevi, Rishi Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Salman Khan, Rani Mukerji, Sunny Deol, Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra and Shah Rukh Khan.

Kanwar was the first director to cast the dream team of Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif in his film, Humko Deewana Kar Gaye in 2006, which is now invincible at the box office. He is known to have cast fresh actors in most of his projects, like Shah Rukh Khan and Divya Bharti in Deewana (1992); Lara Dutta, Priyanka Chopra and Akshay Kumar in Andaaz (2003); Rani Mukerji and Bobby Deol in Baadal (2000); and Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan in Dhai Akshar Prem Ke (2000).

Priyanka Chopra (Andaaz) and SRK (Deewana), both of whom tasted success working with Kanwar, tweeted on his passing:

“Saddens me so much that my first director Raj Kanwar passed away. RIP Rajji. You believed in me when even I didn’t. Andaaz taught me everything I know,” said Priyanka.

SRK tweeted: “My friend Raj Kanwarji passed away. The impermanence of life makes one feel so helpless. May his soul rest in peace. Aisi Deewangi.. Miss u sir.”

Kanwar’s body will be flown back to Mumbai for last rites. He is survived by his wife, Anita Kanwar, and young sons, Abhay and Karan.