MUMBAI, Sept 23: Filmmaker Kalpana Lajmi passed away on Sunday morning after a long battle with kidney cancer. She was 64.

Kalpana breathed her last around 4:30 am on Sunday at Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai. Her last rites will take place at Oshiwara Crematorium at 1 pm.

“She passed away at the (Kokilaben Dhirubhai) Ambani hospital at 4.30 am. She was suffering from a chronic kidney disease and liver failure. She was on dialysis. She has been in and out of the hospital for three years. The last rites will be possibly conducted today,” her brother Dev Lajmiinformed media.

Kalpana Lajmi was known for directing acclaimed movies like Rudaali, Darmiyaan: In Between and Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence. Her films were said to be a reflection of the times and she was often hailed as one of the forerunners of parallel cinema. Kalpana’s last directorial was the 2006 Chingari which had featured Mithun Chakraborty, Sushmita Sen and Anuj Sawhney in pivotal roles.

Daughter of painter Lalita Lajmi and niece of filmmaker Guru Dutt, Kalpana had made her debut as an assistant director under the renowned director Shyam Benegal. She had made her directorial debut with the documentary film DG Movie Pioneer.

 
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