• Amar Akbar Anthony writer Prayag Raj dies at 88, Amitabh Bachchan to Anil Kapoor pays tribute

    Entertainment
    Amar Akbar Anthony writer Prayag Raj dies at 88, Amitabh Bachchan to Anil Kapoor pays tribute
    Raj, who penned the stories for Bachchan's "Naseeb," "Suhaag," "Coolie," and "Mard," had over 100 films to his credit as a writer...

    Digital Desk: Prayag Raj, a renowned screenwriter best known for his work on the blockbuster hits "Amar Akbar Anthony," "Naseeb," and "Coolie" starring Amitabh Bachchan, passed away at the age of 88 due to age-related ailments.

    The writer passed away on Saturday night at his Bandra home, according to his son Aditya.

    “At his Bandra residence, he passed away peacefully on Saturday at 4 p.m. Since eight to ten years, he had several illnesses, including heart disease and age-related issues,” Aditya told PTI.

    Raj, who penned the stories for Bachchan's "Naseeb," "Suhaag," "Coolie," and "Mard," had over 100 films to his credit as a writer and a few as a lyricist.

    Along with writing "Geraftaar," which features Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth, and Kamal Haasan, he also contributed to the screenplays for "Roti," "Dharam Veer," and "Amar Akbar Anthony."

    The unrealized "Zamanat," which was directed by the late S Ramanathan, was his last film as a writer.

    The Shivaji Park cremation in Dadar is where Raj's final rites were conducted on Sunday morning. It was attended by family, and his friends from the industry.

    On his personal blog, Bachchan paid respect to his frequent collaborator.
    "Last evening we lost another pillar of our great film industry," the veteran actor wrote on Sunday.

    Anil Kapoor, who worked on 'Hifazat', written by Raj, said he is saddened by the industry veteran's demise.