Bollywood's multi-faceted talent Neeraj Vora, an actor, writer and director known for his humorous streak on and off screen, died here early on Thursday, months after being comatose, his family member said.
Vora's younger brother Uttank Vora said that he died at 4am at a Andheri hospital. Vora was 54.
"He will be taken to Firoz Nadiadwala's house Barkat from where he will be taken to the Santa Cruz Electric Crematorium at 3pm," Uttank Vora said.
Neeraj Vora wrote Rangeela, directed Phir Hera Pheri and acted in Bol Bachchan among several other projects.
For months altogether, a room in filmmaker Firoz Nadiadwala's home was converted into a fully functional ICU for Vora.
Nadiadwala mourned his demise, saying: I've lost the battle to save my brother and friend from the clutches of death. His health had improved so much. But it deteriorated suddenly on Friday (December 8).
"He had to be shifted to hospital. But it was of no use. We lost him."
Born in a Gujarati family, Vora came to be known in the film industry for the way he tackled humour through his acting, writing and directorial projects.
He was also closely associated with theatre. In fact, Golmaal: Fun Unlimited, which started the hit comedy franchise, was based on the Gujarati play Aflatoon by Mihir Bhuta and Neeraj. They had adapted from it from Harsh Shivsharan's original Marathi play "Ghar-Ghar"
Neeraj had an acting stint on television with shows like Circus and Naya Nukkad, while on the film front, he made the audience laugh with roles in Daud: Fun on the Run, Hello Brother, Bol Bachchan and Welcome Back.
As a writer, he worked on films like Rangeela, Akele Hum Akele Tum, Josh, Badshah, Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, Awara Paagal Deewana, Deewane Huye Paagal, Ajnabee and Hera Pheri and Phir Hera Pheri.
His directorial projects include Khiladi 420 and Phir Hera Pheri. He was to direct Hera Pheri III, but uncertainty loomed large over the project after he suffered a stroke in October 2016.
Early tributes and condolences to Vora from the film world included names like Paresh Rawal and Rahul Dholakia.
Actor Tusshara Kapoor said: "Shocked and saddened to hear of the demise of Neeraj Voraji. Had cast me for Golmaal and directed me in the unreleased Run Bhola Run. RIP sir."
Dholakia described him as "one of India's finest humorist screenwriter", while actor Parvin Dabas said he was "one of the most brilliant comic minds in Hindi cinema".
"He was a friend, relative and also the writer of my first Kehtaa Hai Dil Baar Baar. R.I.P," Dholaia said.
Actor Viveck Vaswani remembered Neeraj, with whom he was friends since they did "Raju" together.
Writer Milap Zaveri said: "You will surely make the heavens laugh."
