#RIPKalpanaLajmi: Director of 'Rudaali' passes away after battling kidney cancer
Noted filmmaker Kalpana Lajmi passed away on Sunday morning at 61. She was suffering from kidney cancer for a while and breathed her last at 4:30 AM today. Kalpana directed several women-oriented movies which were highly acclaimed like, 'Rudaali', 'Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence' and 'Darmiyaan: In Between'. Her last directorial was 2006 release 'Chingaari' starring Sushmita Sen in the lead.
She made her debut with Shyam Benegal
Kalpana, who happens to be the daughter of acclaimed painter Lalita Lajmi, started her career as an assistant director to filmmaker Shyam Benegal. She made her directorial debut in 1978 with a documentary. Kalpana also wrote a book on Bhupen Hazarika, titled - 'Bhupen Hazarika - As I Knew Him', which was released in Mumbai recently.
Kalpana, a critically acclaimed director, believed in making realistic movies
Kalpana was known for making low-budget, realistic movies. The movies didn't take the box office by storm but were well received by the critics. Her directorial 'Rudaali' starring Dimple Kapadia was a path-breaking movie. It even won three national awards in three different categories. Notably, actress Raveena Tandon won a National Award for her role in Kalpana's 'Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence'.
Bollywood mourns Kalpana's death
Kalpana's demise came as a shock to the Bollywood industry and several B-town celebrities paid their tribute. Huma Qureshi tweeted, "Deeply saddened... at around 4:30 am today morning #KalpanaLajmi passed away.. May she rest in peace." Soni Razdan wrote, "Our dear beloved friend Kalpana Lajmi has gone to a better place. RIP my darling Kalpana. I shall miss you so terribly."
