‘Souten’ Director Sawan Kumar Passes Away; Know His Major Films

Mumbai: Veteran director and lyricist Sawan Kumar Tak breathed his last on Thursday evening.

The 86-year-old director was admitted to ICU of Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, battling prolonged lung ailments.

The Indian Express quoted his nephew Navin as saying that Sawan died of multiple organ failure.

He directed over 2 dozen Hindi films, including successful box-office successes like ‘Saajan Bina Suhagan’, ‘Souten’, ‘Souten Ki Beti’ and ‘Sanam Bewafa’.

The jewel in his crown was the 1983 release ‘Souten’. The first Indian film to be shot in Mauritius, Souten – starring Rajesh Khanna, Tina Munim, Padmini Kolhapure, Pran and Prem Chopra among others – went on to become a platinum jubilee hit.

He also wrote the lyrics for ‘Souten’ as well as other superhit films like ‘Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai’, ‘Sanam Bewafa’, ‘Sajan Bina Suhagan’.

Sawan is credited with giving break to actors like Sanjeev Kumar and Mehmood Junior.

He started his career in the Hindi film industry as producer of ‘Naunihal’ in 1967, a film which marked Sanjeev Kumar’s debut also. He made his directorial 5 years later debut with ‘Gomti Ke Kinare’, which happened to be Meena Kumari’s last film.

Salman Khan, who was close to Sawan, paid his tributes and shared a picture of himself with the director-lyricist on Instagram.