Bollywood mourns another loss as Producers Guild CEO passes away
In yet another grave loss to the Indian film fraternity, Kulmeet Makkar, the CEO of the Film and Television Producers Guild of India, passed away. He was 60. Makkar succumbed to a massive heart attack on Friday morning in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, according to media reports. After the unfortunate news surfaced, various Bollywood celebrities mourned Makkar's demise and conveyed condolences.
The Guild confirmed the news in a statement posted on social media this morning. "Today we lost our pillar of strength. Kulmeet is irreplaceable. His passion, integrity, resourcefulness and commitment were only matched by his deep empathy and unique ability to find a way through the toughest situations," the statement read. "Kulmeet, you will always be missed. Your legacy will live on," it added.
Makkar's colleagues and friends from the film industry poured in their tribute on social media. Producer/filmmaker Karan Johar tweeted, "Kulmeet you were such an incredible pillar to all of us at the Producers Guild of India.... relentlessly working for the industry and towards its enhancement and advancement (sic)." Meanwhile, director Ashutosh Gowariker said it is a "sad day" for the Guild.
Actor Farhan Akhtar also remembered Makkar. He wrote, "Seems like every day we are waking up to losing someone we knew and someone who cared deeply about Indian film. RIP Kulmeet Makkar.. your work... will always be remembered."
Another shock to BOLLYWOOD 👤
— Subhash Ghai (@SubhashGhai1) May 1, 2020
KULMEET MAKKAR
Passed away coz of heart attack
Our precious friend of Fim N TV industry n CEO of @producersguild of india-a dedicated effective voice of industry to govt n various institutions. Loved by all
We will miss u sir!
RIP🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/QopEs9Zdng
Damn it... Now Kulmeet! RIP my friend.
— Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) May 1, 2020
Makkar had been serving as the Guild's head for 10 years now. Most recently, he was working to help set up a relief fund to support the industry workers who have been affected due to lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic. Before joining the Producers Guild, Makkar served as the CEO of Reliance Entertainment and music label Saregama.
It has been a terrible week for the Indian movie industry. In the last two days, the country mourned the loss of two of its most celebrated actors, Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor. Irrfan, Bollywood's trailblazer in the West, who suffered from neuroendocrine tumor, passed away on Wednesday in Mumbai. The next day, veteran actor Rishi Kapoor died. He was cremated on Thursday afternoon.
