‘More than a friend, Nishi sir was a mentor and guide’

It is so painful to talk about Nishi sir. More than a friend, he was a mentor and guide throughout my career,” says actor Sharad Kelkar remembering the late director Nishikant Kamat, 50, who passed away on Monday. He was battling liver cirrhosis in a hospital in Hyderabad.

Kelkar had known Kamat for the past eight years when he began his journey in films. “My last project was with him for a web show, Rangbaaz Phir Se, where he was the creative producer and edited the show too. I remember, he wasn’t well, yet he came to the set and met everyone. He was a strongheaded and positive person. The last time he fell sick and was serious, he fought hard and was on his feet soon. This time, too, we were hoping he would get well soon. I was constantly in touch with friends who were with him in Hyderabad. He was improving but this disease is unpredictable and Nishi sir was fighting hard but it didn’t work. It’s so sad. Talking about him, I am getting flashes of all the lovely memories with him. I remember, I would drop by at his office in Andheri whenever I could and we would chat for hours sipping tea,” says Kelkar, who worked with the director in two films- Lai Bhaari (2014) and Rocky Handsome (2016).

There has been an outpouring of posts and condolences for Kamat on social media and Kelkar attributes it to the person that Kamat was. “He was a lovable, lively guy with a great sense of humour. He would call everyone Sir, and was a disciplined man on the set. He would encourage everyone and as he was an actor first, then became an editor and a director. I spoke to him right before the lockdown and he was planning a film shoot in London,UK, and was supposed to go on a recce. Due to his ill health, even a small infection could lead to serious concerns yet he never let that stop his work. But he fought till the end and that shows how strong his spirit was,” says Kelkar.