Veteran filmmaker OP Dutta passes away

Mumbai : Veteran Bollywood writer-filmmaker OP Dutta died here following a bout of pneumonia at the Kokilaben Hospital in suburban Andheri. The end came last night around 9.30pm.

According to Dr Ram Narain, COO, Kokilaben Hospital, Dutta was admitted to the hospital on February 7 and
he succumbed to complications of pneumonia yesterday.

The filmmaker, who was in his late 80s, began his career as a director with Pyaar Ki Jeet in 1948, followed by Surajmukhi (1950), Ek Nazar (1951), Malkin (1953), Aangan (1959) and others, later he turned writer for his son J P Dutta with films like Ghulami (1985), Hathyar (1989), Border (1997), Refugee (2000), LOC Kargil (2003) and his last film as a writer was Umrao Jaan (2006).

Actor Abhishek Bachchan, who worked with him for Umrao Jaan, expressed grief over his demise.

“As soon as I get off the stage, I receive the terrible news of the passing of Mr O P Dutta. Father to J P Dutta. The director who launched me.. O P ji was J P saab’s writer and dialogue writer. He penned my very first words that I ever said on screen. Such a loving man,” Abhishek wrote on Twitter.

“Full of zest, positivity and compassion. Had a great sense of humor and so rich in experience. He taught me one of my greatest lessons in life…”jab bura apni burayi na chode, phir achcha apni achchayi kyun chode?” (if the bad does not stop being bad, then why… should the good stop being good),” he said.