Veteran journalist, poet and filmmaker Pritish Nandy passes away

Mumbai: Veteran journalist, poet and filmmaker Pritish Nandy passed away in Mumbai on Wednesday, sources close to him said.

Nandy (73), a Padma Shri awardee, died after a cardiac arrest at his home in south Mumbai and his last rites were performed in the evening, they said.

Nandy was a former Rajya Sabha member of the Shiv Sena and also an animal rights advocate.

His company, Pritish Nandy Communications (PNC), made films like 'Sur', 'Kaante', 'Jhankaar Beats', 'Chameli', 'Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi', and 'Pyaar Ke Side Effects' and also produced the web series 'Four More Shots Please!'

Nandy wrote around 40 books of poetry in English and translated poems from Bengali, Urdu, and Punjabi into English.

He served as Chairman of PNC, one of the first media and entertainment companies to go public in 2000.

Nandy received the Padma Shri, the EM Forster Literary Award, the UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Award, the International Association Award from the Humane Society of the United States, the Friends of Liberation War Honour from Bangladesh, and 100's of award nominations for the films PNC has produced.

The company described Nandy as a "magician with words and a true torch bearer for Incredible India". PTI