RIP Saawan Kumar Tak: Padmini Kolhapure Remembers Her ‘Saawan Uncle’

Saawan Kumar Tak, the director, producer, writer, and lyricist behind several Bollywood blockbuster films including 'Saajan Bina Suhagan' (1978), 'Souten Ki Beti' (1989), 'Sanam Bewafa' (1991), 'Bewaffa Se Waffa' (1992) and ''Souten (1983), died on Thursday. He is also known for giving Sanjeev Kumar his screen name, directing Meena Kumari’s last film, and penning lyrics for songs such as 'Chand Sitaare' in Kaho Naa.. Pyaar Hai.

Padmini Kohlapure, who worked with him first as a young child in 'Saajan Bina Suhagan', and then later, 'Souten', remembers great things about working with him. "I got such a pivotal role in Saajan... I clearly remember his direction during that period. Then we got along really well. I used to call him Saawan uncle because I was a kid back then. When I did Soutan, my next film with him, I was doing films as a leading lady. He said ‘khabardaar mujhe uncle bola toh!’ His songs, everything had the word Saawan in it. Then I started calling him Saawan ji,” she shares, reports Hindustan Times.

Kohlapure adds that Tak was always very nice to her, and treated her like family. “He was so good to me, and literally brilliantly worked as a director, actor. Right now it struck me, we did a film called 'Preeti' also. It starred me and Rajiv Kapoor, whose birth anniversary is also on August 25, and Sawan ji passed away on the same date. Life is unfortunate. I met him last around 2018-19, he didn’t even call me and came home. He treated my house as his second home, and felt free to come over,” she shares.

Saawan Kumar marked his directorial debut with 'Gomti Ke Kinare'. The film released in 1972 and featured Meena Kumari and Mumtaz in lead roles. As a filmmaker, he introduced talented actors like Sanjeev Kumar and Mehmood Junior aka Naeem Sayyed to the industry. He had produced 'Naunihal' on a shoestring budget, but the film had a Presidential mention at the National Awards.