Amar Akbar Anthony writer Prayag Raj dies, Anil Kapoor, Shabana Azmi and others mourn demise

Veteran writer and director Prayag Raj breathed his last on Saturday evening. Bollywood celebrities like Anil Kapoor, Shabana Azmi and others tweeted condolence messages on learning about the writer's death.

Mumbai:Veteran screenwriter Prayag Raj, best known for his work in Amitabh Bachchan's blockbuster hits Amar Akbar Anthony, Naseeb and Coolie, has died due to age-related issues. He was 88. According to his son Aditya, the writer passed away on Saturday evening at his Bandra residence.

"He passed away peacefully on Saturday at 4pm at his residence in Bandra. He had multiple ailments since eight to ten years like heart disease and age-related issues," Aditya told a news agency. Raj, who penned the story for Bachchan's Naseeb, Suhaag and Coolie and Mard, had over 100 films to his credit as a writer and a few as a lyricist. He also wrote the Bachchan, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan-starrer Geraftaar, apart from contributing to the screenplays of Rajesh Khanna's Roti, Dharmendra-Jeetendra's Dharam Veer and Amar Akbar Anthony.

His last film as a writer was the unreleased Zamanat, directed by the late S Ramanathan. Raj's last rites were performed on Sunday morning at Shivaji Park crematorium in Dadar here. It was attended by family, and his friends from the industry.

Bachchan paid tribute to his frequent collaborator on his personal blog. "Last evening we lost another pillar of our great film industry," the veteran actor wrote on Sunday. Anil Kapoor, who worked on Hifazat, written by Raj, said he is saddened by the industry veteran's demise.

"I'm truly saddened by the loss of the late Prayag Raj. Working with him on Hifazat was a privilege. May his soul rest in peace," he wrote on X alongside a photograph with Raj from the sets of the movie. "Sorry to hear about the passing away of writer director actor Prayag Raj. RIP," wrote Amar Akbar Anthony actor Shabana Azmi. (PTI)