Mumbai: Veteran Bollywood producer N N Sippy died of heart ailment at Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital at 1830 hours (IST) on Tuesday evening. He was 75.
Producer of several Bollywood hits like Fakira, Meri Jung, Chor Machaye Shor and Silsila Hai Pyaar Ka, Sippy also gave a break to Subhash Ghai as director with Kalicharan.
Sippy was also behind introducing yesteryear’s actor and Rajya Sabha MP Jaya Prada to Bollywood in the film Sargam opposite actor Rishi Kapoor.
Before beginning his career as a producer in 1959, Sippy worked for 10 years in the film industry in various capacities, including film finance and distribution.
His father was a prominent distributor in Sindh province before India's partition and he, too, briefly worked for the family business.
Sippy’s career straddled many eras of filmmaking to which he made his own contributions. "One should be well acquainted with all the parameters of filmmaking. Otherwise this is no place for you," he once said.
The funeral will take place at the Chandanwadi crematorium in south Mumbai at 1100 hours (IST) on Wednesday.
After India's partition, Sippy moved to Mumbai, where he completed his college degree while working in the film industry. The formal education gave him the self-confidence that helped him deal with the wounds of partition, he later said.
As a producer, Sippy's first film was Kaatil, a fantasy drama that starred Premnath and Chitra. Sippy then made another fantasy named Rooplekha with the director of his first venture, Mohammed Hussain.
This too was a success but Sippy decided to venture into other genres. This led to diverse hits like the supernatural thriller Woh Kaun Thi (1964), the musical Sargam (1979), action films Kalicharan and Fakira (both 1976) and the comedy Chor Machaye Shor (1974).
Sippy worked with directors like Guru Dutt and Subhash Ghai, whom he gave a break to direct his first film.
"You have to really know your work to be able to keep up with the changing trends in filmmaking, and to ensure that the audiences keep on watching your films," he once remarked.
(With agency inputs)
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