National Award winner and veteran film-maker Pradeep Sarkar, noted for making sensitive and powerful films like 'Parineeta' and 'Mardaani', passed away here after a prolonged illness, early on Friday morning, family sources said.

He was 67 and his funeral rites shall be performed at the Santacruz Crematorium this afternoon at 4 p.m.

According to his friends and associates, he was rushed to a hospital last night for kidney and related ailments, but failed to survive and breathed his last early this morning.

Prominent Bollywood biggies like Ajay Devgn, Manoj Bajpayee, Ashoke Pandit, Nitu Chandra-Srivastava, Hansal Mehta, Neil Nitin Mukesh and others mourned and paid tributes to Sarkar as the news broke out.

Starting his entertainment career with commercials and music videos in the early 1900s, Sarkar debuted as a director with 'Parineeta' (2005) starring Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Khan and Vidya Balan.

Over the years, he made other films like 'Laaga Chunari Me Daag' (2007), 'Lafangey Pandey' (2010), 'Mardaani' (2014), 'Helicopter Eela' (2016), and co-edited the superhit Vidhu Vinod Chopra film 'Munna Bhai MBBS' (2003).

Since 2019, Sarkar has also directed web series like 'Coldd Lassi Aur Chicken Masala', 'Arranged Marriage', 'Forbidden Love', 'Duranga'. [IANS/JS]