Mumbai: Noted filmmaker Shakti Samanta, who made superhit movies like Kati Patang, Amar Prem and Aaradhana, died in Mumbai on Thursday after a brief illness.
He was 83 and is survived by wife, two sons and two grandsons.
"He passed away at around 5 pm at his suburban Santacruz residence. He was recovering from a stroke which he suffered over two months ago," a family member told PTI.
"Samanta was discharged two weeks ago from Jaslok Hospital where he was treated for two months. He was slightly paralysed and was recovering slowly," Ashim Samanta, son of the film maker, told PTI.
"However, his health deteriorated on Thursday," said Ashim, also a film director.
Samanta's funeral would be held at Santacruz crematorium at 11 am on Friday, the family member said.
Samanta, a former president of Indian Motion Pictures Association of India (IMPAA), directed 43 feature films, including 37 Hindi and 6 Bengali films.
He was among the directors who worked with Shammi Kapoor and Rajesh Khanna, creating a number of hit films.
Shakti Samanta directed his first feature film, Bahu in 1954. After the success of his next few films like Inspector (1956), Sheroo (1956), Detective (1957), Samanta started his own film production house.
Apart from his movies, the director is remembered for introducing actress Sharmila Tagore, who went on to form a legendary pair with Samanta's blue-eyed boy Rajesh Khanna, in Kashmir Ki Kali.
He also teamed up with the heartthrob of 1960's, Shammi Kapoor and worked together in films like An Evening in Paris and Chinatown.
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