Bollywood is mourning the loss of casting director and producer Seher Aly Latif who died on Monday following a cardiac arrest.
Latif, who spearheaded Swara Bhasker’s Netflix series ‘Bhaag Beanie Bhaag’, while also serving as a casting director on the award-winning film ‘Lunchbox’, had been admitted to a hospital in Mumbai following renal failure, according to media reports.
Celebrities such as Rajkummar Rao, Huma Qureshi, Nimrat Kaur and many others took to social media to pay their last respects.
“There are no words. Seher Latif is no more. This is cruelty. So young, so much to give. Can’t even utter RIP. We spoke only two weeks ago, I teased her & she laughed.. It is unimaginable that we won’t see her wide smile anymore. I can’t fathom this. No, not @smwhtlatelatif,” posted actress Bhasker, who also took to Twitter to share a video with the producer. “Seher, I teased you ‘coz I didn’t know how to tell you how much I like you- for ur warmth, for ur cheer, for ur gentle goodness, for ur kindness to strugglers, for ur fun, for ur beliefs, for standing up for me, for unwittingly helping me out of a dark place [sic].”
“I joked with u because I didn’t know how else to express my deep fondness & affection for u. For the warmth & good spirits u brought to your work & mine.. I wish we had followed through on the catch up sessions we planned. I wish I had called instead of texting,” Bhasker continued. “I wish we’d met this last month Seher. I wish I’d referred to u as ‘Seth ji’ .. If we are wishing, what I really wish is this cruel accident of fate be reversed and you threaten not to sign my cheques again.. I can’t say goodbye #SeherAlyLatif Not yet, not yet.”
Kaur, who starred in ‘The Lunchbox’ posted: “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.”
‘The Lunchbox’ director Ritesh Batra also mourned her loss, posting: “I don’t believe it, unfair parting with a kind soul and real friend. Goodbye Seher, I hope there is another side.”
Actress Qureshi wrote: “I cannot believe you are gone,” while Rajkummar Rao simply said: “Rest In Peace.”
Sanya Malhotra wrote: “Gone too soon. Rest in peace, Seher.”
Some of the other project Latif worked on included ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’, as well as recent Bollywood films such as ‘Shakuntala Devi’ and ‘Durgamati: The Myth’. She had also done casting for several Hollywood projects including the Julia Roberts-led ‘Eat Pray Love’ and ‘The Hundred-Foot Journey’.
Latif is survived by her husband and a younger brother Zishaan A Latif, who is an award-winning photographer.