Pradeep Sarkar (1955-2023) is an Indian director best known for directing Parineeta (2005). He breathed his last at Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai on March 24, 2023. He died of pneumonia.
Wiki/Biography
Pradeep Sarkar was born on Saturday, 30 April 1955 (age 67 years; at death) in Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal, India. His zodiac sign is Taurus. After moving to Delhi from Kolkata in 1971, he enrolled at the Delhi College of Arts, where he graduated as a gold medalist in 1979.
Family
Pradeep Sarkar was born in a Bengali family in Kolkata.
Parents & Siblings
His elder sister, Madhu Sarkar Kuriakose, is an entrepreneur.
Photo of Pradeep’s sister Madhu Sarkar
Wife & Children
His wife, Panchali Sarkar, is a filmmaker. His son, Ronit Sarkar, is a playback singer. His daughter, Raya Sarkar, is an artist.
Photo of Pradeep Sarkar with his wife
Ronit Sarkar, son of Pradeep Sarkar
Photo of Raya Sarkar
Career
Pradeep Sarkar started his career as a creative supervisor at Tulika, a small advertising agency. After working at Tulika for several years, he left it and joined Grant Kenyon & Eckhardt, an advertising company, and worked there for seventeen years, eventually becoming its vice president. After that, he left Grant Kenyon & Eckhardt and joined Kelvinator, where he directed his first commercial. Later, he joined Vinod Chopra Productions in Mumbai, where he directed many commercials as Creative Director – Art. After establishing Wavelength Film Works Private Limited on 3 October 1997 and Apocalypso Filmworks Private Limited on 7 November 1997, Pradeep directed several commercials for various well-known brands such as Catch, Eveready, Haier, Hero MotoCorp, LG, LIC, and Muthoot Finance.
Pradeep Sarkar’s photo taken during an ad shoot
Pradeep Sarkar directed music videos for many Hindi songs and albums including Dhoom Pichak Dhoom by Palash Sen (1998), Ab Ke Sawan by Shubha Mudgal (1999), Piya Basanti by KS Chithra and Sultan Khan (2000), and Maaeri by Euphoria and Palash Sen (2000). He worked as an editor on Rajkumar Hirani’s 2003 film Munna Bhai MBBS Pradeep made his directorial debut with the 2005 Hindi film Parineeta, starring Vidya Balan, Saif Ali Khan, and Sanjay Dutt; Pradeep also wrote the script for the film. In an interview, Pradeep said that before he started working on the film, Vidhu Vinod Chopra told him that making a three-hour film was more difficult than making a thirty-second commercial. While talking about it, he said,
Before starting work on Parineeta, Vidhu Vinod Chopra told me, Just because you’ve done a 30-second ad, don’t think you now have three hours to play around with. People are smarter and more impatient than you think.” 
In 2007, he directed and wrote the script for Laaga Chunari Mein Daag: Journey of a Woman, a Hindi film. In the same year, he directed another Hindi film titled Eklavya: The Royal Guard. In 2010, he directed the Bollywood film Lafangey Parindey. He directed the 2014 Hindi film Mardaani, starring Rani Mukerji. In 2018, he worked with Kajol and directed the Hindi film Helicopter Eela.
Photo of Pradeep Sarkar with Kajol on the sets of Eela Helicopter
In 2019, he directed Coldd Lassi Aur Chicken Masala, a Hindi comedy web series that aired on ZEE5 and AltBalaji. In the same year, he directed and wrote the script for a 2019 short film titled Neel Samandar. In 2020, he directed the ZEE5 Hindi web series Arranged Marriage and Forbidden Love. He is the executive producer of the 2021 Bengali film titled Jokhon Ratri Name. In 2022, he directed ZEE5’s Hindi web series Duranga, which was adapted from the Korean drama Flower of Evil. In 2022, Prakash began directing Noti Binodini, starring Kangana Ranaut. He however died before the film’s production was completed.
Award
- Pradeep Sarkar won the Filmfare Award for Best Art Direction (2005), Zee Cine Award for Most Promising Director (2005), Apsara Film Producers Association Award for Best Debut Director (2006), Screen Award for Best Debut Director (2006), Stardust Award for Hottest Young Director (2006), and Indira0 Gandhi 6 Film Award for Best Director.
- For directing commercials for Aaj Tak, an Indian news channel, Pradeep Sarkar received a Rapa Award and an Abby Award in the Best Director category (2003).
Death
Pradeep Sarkar died at Lilavati Hospital in Bandra, Mumbai on 24 March 2023 between 3.10 am to 3.30 am after pneumonia infected his lungs. According to his wife, Pradeep had a viral fever on March 22, 2023 and despite following the prescribed medicine, his fever did not subside. Due to persistent fever, Pradeep was rushed to Lilavati hospital on the morning of March 24, 2023. He further added that when Pradeep was on his way to the hospital, his vitals started declining, and his condition became serious. When he arrived at the hospital, he was on a ventilator; however, doctors could not save him. In an interview, while talking about it, he said,
He died between 3.10 am and 3.30 am at Lilavati hospital. He contracted a viral fever on March 22. After giving some medicine the fever subsided but not completely. So he was rushed to the hospital. When we arrived at the hospital, his vitals began to drop. He was put on a ventilator in the ICU and diagnosed with pneumonia. The infection attacked his lungs. According to the doctor, he has many comorbidities that weaken his immunity. His blood pressure fluctuates. Since covid attacked him in July 2022, he has been quite weak.”
His last rites were conducted at Santacruz Hindu Crematorium in Mumbai on 24 March 2023 at 4 pm.
Facts/Trivia
- Pradeep Sarkar is called Dada, which means brother, by his fans and colleagues.
- Pradeep Sarkar is an avid pet lover. He has two dogs named Lilo, Chihuahua, and Yoda.
Photo of Pradeep’s daughter with Lilo
- Pradeep follows a non-vegetarian diet, and his favorite dish is Kosha Mangsho.
- Pradeep shares a close bond with Vidya Balan. In an interview, Vidya said that she sees Pradeep and his wife as her guardians and shares a “love-hate relationship” with him. Speaking about it, he said,
Without attaching a label, Dada and his wife are like my guardians. If I could count on anyone it would be him. I share a love-hate relationship with Dada. I fight with him, the way I fight with my father. He is not affected because apart from work nothing is important to him.”
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
