Rani Mukerji 'Shocked' At Pradeep Sarkar's Sudden Death, Says 'I Was Unable To Video Call Him From Amritsar'

New Delhi: Noted filmmaker Pradeep Sarkar's death has left a void among the Indian film fraternity. The Mardaani director was on dialysis and his potassium levels had dropped drastically. He was rushed to the Mumbai hospital at 3:00 a.m. on March 24, 2023, where he breathed his last at 3.30 a.m. reportedly. His family, friends and film fraternity people are grief-stricken and saddened by this sudden tragic loss.

Many actors he worked with offered condolences on his demise. Actress Rani Mukerji, who worked with him in critically acclaimed movies such as Mardaani and Laaga Chunari Mein Daag recalled how she was about to call him but unfortunately couldn't. 

Rani Mukerji said, "I'm very very shocked by the news of Dada's passing away. I, in fact, spoke to him just the other day when I had gone to Amritsar, to the Golden Temple where he had called me telling me about my film so we had a long chat, he was insisting to do a facetime call but that day the network was not good so I was unable to video call with him. We were planning to meet this week when I got back but it is just so unexpected. His wife (Panchali Boudi) called me at 4 am when this happened, it is really sad and shocking that dada has passed away like this."

She continued, "Boudi had informed me that he was on remission and he was all ok. He was also shooting these last few days so I don't know how it all transpired in just a matter of a few hours. I'm sure everybody who knows Dada will feel his loss deeply the way I'm feeling it. I had a great connection with him, we've done a lot of work together over the years, so it's literally like losing a family member. My heart goes out to Boudi, Ronno and Raya as they were a very close-knit family and to all the people who worked in Dada's production house and those who have been attached to him over the years. It's going to be a great loss for them. 

So I'm really very saddened by this because I was meant to meet him soon so I feel terrible about it. You never realise how life is so unpredictable, you speak to a person and the next thing you know is that the person is not there. I will hold on to my last memory of him being so happy and excited for me as he had called me to share the feedback that he was getting for my film and me from all over."

May his soul rest in peace.