Pritish Nandy, a renowned journalist, poet, filmmaker, and former Rajya Sabha member, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 73 after a cardiac arrest at his South Mumbai residence. Sources close to the family confirmed that his last rites were performed the same evening.
Pritish Nandy was highly respected for his contributions to media, literature, cinema, and animal rights activism.
Born on January 15, 1951, in Bhagalpur, Bihar, he created a niche for himself as an editor, poet, and filmmaker throughout his career, which spanned decades.
Anupam Kher, Says, ‘One Of My Closest Friend’
Veteran actor and close friend Anupam Kher took to social media to express his grief and pay glowing tributes. “Deeply deeply saddened and shocked to know about the demise of one of my dearest and closest friends #PritishNandy!” wrote Kher. “He was my support system and a great source of strength in my initial days in Mumbai. Always larger than life, he was one of the most fearless people I had come across.”
Kher reflected on their time together and especially mentioned that Nandy supported him during the early days in Mumbai, as they had always reminisced over his being the face of the cover pages of *Filmfare* and *The Illustrated Weekly*. “He was the true definition of yaaron ka yaar. I will miss you and our times together, my friend,” Kher concluded.
Nandy’s career in journalism was marked by bold and fearless editing. He served as editor of leading publications, contributing to India’s journalistic and literary landscape.
His poetry, which transcended linguistic boundaries, included around 40 books in English and translations from Bengali, Urdu, and Punjabi.
He anchored Doordarshan’s talk show, The Pritish Nandy Show, during the 1990s, a huge hit show during that era. In fact, he further joined politics; in the 1998 session to 2004, Pritish represented Shiv Sena party in Rajya Sabha as its member.
Nandy’s contributions to Indian cinema remain unmatched. His production house, Pritish Nandy Communications, has produced critically acclaimed films like Jhankaar Beats, Chameli, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, Kaante, and Pyaar Ke Side Effects. He also produced the highly popular web series Four More Shots Please!
Nandy was a passionate animal rights activist and spent much of his time working on causes that he felt were close to his heart.
