Filmmaker Kalpana Lajmi dead at 64

Acclaimed filmmaker and screenwriter Kalpana Lajmi, known for powerful films such as Rudaali and Daman, died in Mumbai on Sunday following multiple organ failure. She was 64.

Lajmi passed away around 4.30 a.m. at a hospital where she had been admitted to the intensive care unit earlier in the week because of kidney-related complications, her spokesperson Parul Chawla told IANS.

Her cremation was scheduled for 12.30 p.m. at the Oshiwara crematorium in Mumbai.

Lajmi had been undergoing dialysis for several years. Despite her prolonged health struggles, she remained known for her determination and fighting spirit. In an interview last year, she had spoken candidly about her condition, saying: “My kidneys have failed, but I haven't.”

Lajmi made her feature-film directorial debut with Ek Pal, beginning a career that became closely associated with realistic stories, strong female characters and socially relevant themes.

Her best-known films included Rudaali, which explored the life and struggles of a professional mourner in rural Rajasthan, and Daman, a hard-hitting drama dealing with domestic violence. Daman earned actress Raveena Tandon the National Film Award for Best Actress.

Her final directorial venture was Chingaari, based on The Prostitute and the Postman, a novel by Assamese cultural icon Bhupen Hazarika, who was also her longtime companion. Lajmi's professional and personal association with Hazarika remained an important part of her life and work.

Earlier this month, her memoir Bhupen Hazarika: As I Knew Him was launched, offering a personal account of her years with the legendary singer, composer and filmmaker.

Lajmi's work stood apart in mainstream Hindi cinema for its focus on subjects such as women's rights, social inequality and violence, often giving central characters from marginalised backgrounds a strong voice.

She is survived by her mother and brother. Her death marks the loss of a filmmaker who carved out a distinctive place in Indian parallel and socially conscious cinema.