'Amar Akbar Anthony' writer Prayag Raj dies; Amitabh Bachchan and Anil Kapoor pay tribute

Veteran screenwriter Prayag Raj, who is best known for his work in Amitabh Bachchan's films 'Amar Akbar Anthony' and 'Naseeb', died at the age of 88 due to health related issues.

His son Aditya shared that the screenwriter died at his Bandra residence on September 23 and his last rites were performed on September 24 at Shivaji Park crematorium in Dadar.

'He passed away peacefully on Saturday at 4pm at his residence in Bandra. He had multiple ailments since eight to ten years like heart disease and age-related issues,' Aditya told PTI.
While legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan took to his personal blog to pay tribute, Anil Kapoor, who worked with Prayag Raj in 'Hifazat', remembered the veteran writer in a post on social media.

'He passed away peacefully on Saturday at 4pm at his residence in Bandra. He had multiple ailments since eight to ten years like heart disease and age-related issues,' Aditya told PTI. Raj, who penned the story for Bachchan’s 'Naseeb', 'Suhaag' and 'Coolie' and 'Mard', had over 100 films to his credit as a writer and a few as a lyricist.

Raj’s last rites were performed on Sunday morning at Shivaji Park crematorium in Dadar. It was attended by family, and his friends from the industry. Bachchan paid tribute to his frequent collaborator on his personal blog. '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. 'I’m truly saddened by the loss of the late Prayag Raj. Working with him on ‘Hifazat’ was a privilege. May his soul rest in peace,' he wrote on X alongside a photograph with Raj from the sets of the movie.

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