Kumar Ramsay, eldest of Ramsay Brothers, passes away at 85
Filmmaker Kumar Ramsay, known for penning most of the Ramsay Brothers' horror films including Rishi Kapoor-starrer Khoj, passed away on Thursday due to cardiac arrest. He was 85. Kumar breathed his last at his residence in Hiranandani in Mumbai, according to his eldest son Gopal. Kumar was the son of producer FU Ramsay and the eldest of the seven brothers.
Kumar passed away at around 5:30 am: Gopal
"He (Kumar) passed away due to cardiac arrest today around 5:30 am. He passed away very quietly," said Gopal on Thursday, adding the funeral would take place at around 12:00 pm the same day. The Ramsay Brothers septet—Kumar, Tulsi, Shyam, Keshu, Kiran, Gangu, and Arjun—ruled the horror genre, making low-budget cult movies in the '70s and '80s. The filmmaking duties were divided between them.
Kumar was instrumental in scripting most of their films
Kumar was instrumental in scripting most of the Ramsay Brothers' films, including Purana Mandir (1984), Saaya (1989) featuring Shatrughan Sinha, and 1989 hit Khoj, which also starred Naseeruddin Shah. He also produced films like Aur Kaun? (1979) and Dahshat in 1981. His younger brothers Tulsi and Shyam had passed away in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
He is survived by his wife Sheela and three sons
Arjun, who did post-production and editing of the septet's films, died in 2019. Kiran, who managed the sound department, died in 2017 while Keshu, who handled production breathed his last breath in 2010. Kumar, who also wrote the script of the cult 1978 horror Darwaza, is survived by his wife Sheela and three sons, Gopal, Raj, and Sunil.
