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Mumbai: National Award-winning director Kundan Shah, best known for his dark satire Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro and coming-of-age comedy Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, passed away at his residence early on Saturday. He was 69. Shah died of a heart attack, a family member said.
His last rites are likely to be held at Shivaji Park, Dadar, this evening.
Born on October 19, 1947, Shah studied direction at the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune and made his directorial debut with Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro in 1983.
The movie was made on a shoestring budget and had its origin in the struggles of his friends – two FTII graduates who ended up opening a photo studio in Hyderabad.
The 1983 cult classic came into being “by chance” for Shah, who died of cardiac arrest on Saturday.
“I was very clear that I wanted to make a comedy. At that time, (early 1980s) I was actually writing another film based on the idea from One Wonderful Sunday (1947) by Akira Kurusawa. It is the story of two penniless lovers and how they spend a Sunday together.
“I had not seen that film (One Wonderful Sunday) but I was inspired by the idea and was trying to write a screenplay. Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro happened in between. By very, what you call, chance of circumstance,” Shah recalled in an interview with ‘NFDCCinemasofIndia’ in 2012.
There were not many opportunities when Shah graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune in 1976. “There was no television then and we did not want to join the film industry, that we were clear about. I think (filmmaker) Manmohan Desai at that time had 17 assistants and somebody had tried to put me there and I realised I would be the 18th, which I did not want.
“So we formed a commune — a group of cinematographers , editors and others — because we knew the struggle was going to be grim. We had based it in Hyderabad. Eventually, everyone dispersed and even I returned to Mumbai.”
Only two of Shah’s friend stayed back — Ravi Ojha, a direction student and Rajendra Shaw. They opening a photo studio.