Casting
director
Seher
Aly
Latif,
known
for
her
work
on
films
like
The
Lunchbox
and
Durgamati,
passed
away
on
Monday,
June
7,
due
to
cardiac
arrest,
her
associate
and
director
Neeraj
Udhwani
said.
She
was
in
her
early
40s.
Also
the
co-founder
of
independent
production
company
Mutant
Films,
Latif
backed
the
Netflix
series
Bhaag
Beanie
Bhaag,
starring
Swara
Bhasker,
and
Maska,
a
film
for
the
streaming
service
which
featured
Manisha
Koirala.
Udhwani,
who
directed
Maska,
said
Latif
was
admitted
to
Lilavati
Hospital
in
Mumbai
eight
days
ago
due
to
kidney
failure.
"There
was
some
infection,
which
caused
renal
failure.
She
was
admitted
last
weekend.
She
was
on
antibiotics
and
was
recovering.
But
today
she
suffered
a
cardiac
arrest
and
suddenly
it
was
all
over,"
the
filmmaker
told
PTI.
Latif
was
known
for
her
extensive
work
as
a
casting
director
on
projects
like
mathematician
Srinivasa
Ramanujan's
biopic
The
Man
Who
Knew
Infinity,
starring
Dev
Patel;
filmmaker
Gurinder
Chadha's
period
film
Viceroy's
House,
and
Bhumi
Pednekar-fronted
drama
feature
Durgamati.
She
was
the
Indian
casting
associate
for
acclaimed
international
projects
like
the
Kathryn
Bigelow
feature
directorial
Zero
Dark
Thirty,
Julia
Roberts-starrer
Eat
Pray
Love,
the
Netflix
series
Sense8,
season
four
of
the
Showtime
espionage
thriller
Homeland
and
the
BBC
One/AMC
series
McMafia.
Nimrat
Kaur,
who
starred
in
The
Lunchbox
and
Homeland,
took
to
Twitter
to
pay
tributes
to
Latif.
"One
of
the
kindest,
most
loving
people
Mumbai
gifted
my
life
with.
Still
trying
to
process
this
unreal
news...
Travel
on
into
the
light
my
dearest,
sweetest
Seher.
The
unpredictable,
ghastly
shortness
of
life
remains
baffling.
Await
to
meet
you
on
the
other
side," Kaur
wrote.
Filmmaker
Ritesh
Batra,
who
helmed
the
acclaimed
2013
drama
The
Lunchbox,
shared
Kaur's
tweet
and
said
he
was
shocked
to
learn
about
Latif's
passing.
"I
don't
believe
it,
unfair
parting
with
a
kind
soul
and
real
friend.
Goodbye
Seher,
I
hope
there
is
another
side," Batra
wrote.
Maska
actor
Nikita
Dutta
posted
a
picture
with
Latif
to
remember
her.
"The
heaven
will
be
blessed
with
your
mushy
hugs
and
infectious
smile.
Still
can't
fathom
this
though,"
Dutta
wrote.
"Salut
#SeherLatif
such
an
amazing
casting
director,
producer
and
wonderful
person.
Gone
too
soon.
Thank
you
for
your
legacy
of
films.
God
bless,"
tweeted
fellow
casting
director
Tess
Joseph.
Latif
was
also
attached
as
the
executive
producer
on
films
like
Shakuntala
Devi,
starring
Vidya
Balan,
and
Akshay
Kumar's
Gold
(2018).
Latif
is
survived
by
husband
and
her
parents.
Photo:
Netflix