Pritish Nandy, an acclaimed journalist, filmmaker, poet, and parliamentarian, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 73. His son, filmmaker Kushan Nandy, confirmed his demise to SCREEN, saying the filmmaker succumbed to a cardiac arrest.
A prolific career in journalism
Born on January 15, 1951, Pritish Nandy began his journey as a journalist and rose to prominence as the editor of The Illustrated Weekly of India (1983–1991). He also served as the editor of The Independent, Filmfareand other leading magazines, shaping India’s literary and journalistic landscapes.
An acclaimed poet and author
Beyond journalism, Nandy was a celebrated poet, authoring over 40 books of poetry in English. He also translated Bengali, Urdu, and Punjabi poetry into English. Among his notable contributions was a modern English rendition of the Isha Upanishad. His literary achievements earned him the Padma Shri in 1977.
The Talk Show Host
In the 1990s, Nandy ventured into television with The Pritish Nandy Show on Doordarshanwhere he interviewed notable personalities.
A Visionary Filmmaker and Media Mogul
In the early 2000s, Nandy shifted his focus to filmmaking, founding Pritish Nandy Communications (PNC). Under this banner, he produced critically acclaimed films such as Sur, Kaante, Jhankaar Beats, Chameli, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisiand Side Effects of Love. His recent projects included the web series Four More Shots Please and Modern Love Mumbai.
A Parliamentarian and activist
Nandy also served as a Rajya Sabha member from 1998 to 2004, representing Maharashtra as part of the then-united Shiv Sena. In addition to his political contributions, he was a vocal advocate for animal rights, founding People for Animalsand championing humanitarian causes.
Actor Anupam Kher shared an emotional note remembering Pritish and wrote, “Deeply deeply saddened and shocked to know about the demise of one of my dearest and closest friends #PritishNandy! Amazing poet, writer, filmmaker and a brave and unique editor/journalist! He was my support system and a great source of strength in my initial days in Mumbai. We shared lots of things in common. He was also one of the most fearless people I had come across. Always Larger than life. I learnt so many things from him. Off-late we didn’t meet much. But there was a time when we were inseparable! I will never forget when he surprised me by putting me on the cover of Filmfare and more importantly #TheIllustratedWeelky. He was the true definition of yaaron ka yaar! I will miss you and our times together my friend. Rest well. 💔💔💔#HeartBroken.”
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