#RIPPradeepSarkar: Riddhi Sen remembers ‘Dada’ as an ‘ever-smiling and passionate’ director | Exclusive

Filmmaker Pradeep Sarkar passed away on March 24 around 3:30 am. He was on dialysis. He was rushed to a hospital at around 3 am when his condition deteriorated. National Award-winning actor Riddhi Sen worked with him in multiple ad films and his last feature film, Helicopter Eela. the actor remembers the director as an ever-smiling man. 

Riddhi, along with Sourav Ganguly, shot for an ad film with Pradeep Sarkar in 2022. “In fact, I first met him in Kolkata for an ad shoot and then Helicopter Eela happened. I did multiple ad films with him. Last year, Sourav Ganguly and I were there in an ad,” the actor remembered.  

Also read: Parineeta, Mardaani director Pradeep Sarkar dies at 67 

Talking about his experience of working with Pradeep Sarkar, Riddhi elaborated, “I will remember him as an ever-smiling person. You could never guess his age because while talking to you, he would become a person of your age. I was aware that he wasn’t keeping well for the last few years but that could hardly put him down. He loved his work. On the set, he was as passionate as a child. On the set of Helicopter Eela, it felt like he was directing his first film. He was that involved. He used to give tremendous scope to an actor and technicians. He has a brilliant sense of humour.”

Pradeep Sarkar was known to be a proud Bengali speaker. He would talk to everyone in Bengali. Remembering this trait, Riddhi said, “Dada would always speak Bengali on the floors. He was very proud of his Bengali. As a result, those who did not know Bengali would learn the language by the end of the shooting.”

Riddi further added, “He was a very big ad filmmaker also. Many directors learnt from him and became directors. He had a different vision of filmmaking that is unique and with him, that style would also go.” 

Pradeep Sarkar debuted in feature films in 2005 with Parineeta. Then he directed Laga Chunari Mein Daag, Mardaani and Helicopter Eela.