A casting director and producer, Shere Aly Latif, passed away due to renal failure

A Casting director-producer Seher Aly Latif, known for introducing Bollywood Swara Bhasker’s Netflix series Bhaag Beanie Bhaag and working as a casting director for films like Lunchbox and Monsoon Shootout, passed away on Monday following a cardiac arrest.

In her early 40s, the producer breathed her last at Mumbai’s Lilavati hospital, where she was admitted for renal failure. Director Neeraj Udhwani worked with Seher on her Netflix production Maska (2020). Her collaborators from Bollywood mourned her demise with emotional, social media posts.

Lunchbox star Nimrat Kaur shared a photo of Seher with her cat and tweeted that the late producer was “one of the kindest people” Mumbai gifted her with. “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,” read Nimrat Kaur’s tweet.

Seher Aly Latif began her career as a casting director. Seher cast for Indian films, like Lunchbox, SkuntalaDevi, and Bhaag Beanie Bhaag, and worked on international projects. Some of her international credits include Eat Pray Love, Furious 7, Viceroy’s House, McMafia, and Sense 8. She was also the executive producer on movies like Akshay Kumar’s Gold, Vidya Balan -led Shakuntala Devi, and Noblemen.

Her first production was the short film MasterChef, helmed by Lunchbox director Ritesh Batra for the Sundance Institute. In 2016, she and producer Shivani founded Mutant Films, which has produced Netflix films Maska and BhaagBeaniBhaag.

Recalling his experience working with Seher Aly Latif, Neeraj said she was a supportive producer and someone who epitomized kindness. “Her default expression was a smile. You would always find her smiling. She was one of the nicest, kindest people I ever met. I didn’t know her and Shivani before Netflix introduced me to them to collaborate on Maska. As Bollywood's great casting producer passes away, her work is always remembered, and many actresses and actors felt to work with her films.

Adil Hussain, an Indian Actor tweeted: