Mumbai: Noted filmmaker and television serial producer Ramanand Sagar of epic serial Ramayan fame passed away due to old age complications late on Monday at his Juhu residence.
Relatives and well-wishers from the film and television industry including Yash Chopra, Manoj Kumar, Arun Govil and Bhagyashree came to pay their last respects at the Sagar's residence.
The last rites took place at a crematorium in Vile Parle on Tuesday.
For millions of television viewers in India and abroad, every Sunday morning was a celebration viewing the epic serial Ramayan that made its producer-director Ramanand Sagar a household name.
Sagar (87), was born on 29th December, 1917 in Lahore into one of the most aristocratic and wealthiest families of those times.
His first recorded work in 1933 at the age of 16 was a piece of prose-poetry called Pritaam Pratiksha for the Srinagar-based Shri Pratap college's magazine. The editor was impressed but was not convinced that he had actually authored the work and so wrote as a footnote that "the editor could not vouch for the originality of the article.
In 1936, he started his film career with the silent movie Raiders of the Rail Road as a clapper boy.
He made a significant contribution to the literary world between 1943-49 with his Jwaar Bhata (High and low tide) in 1943, Ainey (mirrors) the next year; Jab Pahle Roz Baraf Giri (the first day when it snowed), Goura in 1948 for a stage play enacted by thespian Prithviraj Kapoor among others
Upon coming to India after Partition in 1947, he wrote a novel Aur Insan Mar Gaya poignantly depicting the horrors of the partition which catapulted him to instant fame in the literary circuit.
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Sagar received the Gold Medal in Sanskrit and in Persian from University of Punjab in 1942.
In 1942-43, he was invited by the then famous director Mehboob Khan and also by the famous writers Krishen Chander and Monto to come to Mumbai. He also wrote the story and screenplay of Raj Kapoor's legend Barsaat .
In 1950 Sagar formed his movie production company Sagar Art Corporation.
The company made 25 films of which 15 were blockbusters. The blockbusters include silver jubilees - six in a row - including Ghunghat, Zindagi, Aarzoo, Geet, Lalkar, Hamrahi, Charas, Pyaara Dushman, Ram Bharose, Bhagawat and a diamond jubilee Ankhen.
In 1985 Ramanand Sagar forayed into TV serial production. Till date Ramayan remains the flagship serial of his production house.
Ramayan has been hailed as a modern day miracle and its creator Ramanand Sagar as the modern day Valmiki and Tulsidas.
Following its trail blazing success was Shri Krishna which earned over 100 crore.
His other projects included Durga, Jai Mahalaxmi, Jai Ganga Maiya and the recent one Sai Baba which went on air two months ago.
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