MUMBAI: Prem Sagar, veteran producer, cinematographer and director, passed on at his Mumbai home on 31 August. He was 81. His son, producer Shiv Sagar, said: “With him, an entire era has gone.”
Diagnosed with colon cancer a month ago, Sagar returned from hospital on 30 August and passed away peacefully a day later, coinciding with the Ganesh festival and Radha Ashtami. An alumnus of FTII Pune’s 1968 batch, he was a gold medallist for academics and a silver medallist for best student film photography.
The son of legendary filmmaker Ramanand Sagar, he began with cinema—shooting and directing films with Jeetendra and Hema Malini—before pivoting to television. He launched Sagar Arts’ TV wing with Vikram Aur Betaal, a precursor to the cultural juggernaut Ramayan (1987), later followed by Shri Krishna. He also served as marketing director, travelling the globe to promote the company’s shows.
Known for his technical originality and embrace of new technology, Sagar continued to stay engaged, even visiting the sets of Kamdhenu Gamata on Star Bharat shortly before his death. Shiv Sagar described him as “a guru, a storyteller, and a visionary who blended humour, patience and spirituality into his craft.”
A prayer meet will be held in Mumbai on 3 September.