/> Veteran producer Surinder Kapoor, father to Boney and Anil Kapoor, passed away at the age 84 on Saturday evening.

Kapoor who had served as an assistant director in K Asif's all-time classic Mughal-e-Azam went on to produce over a dozen films, some of them successful.

Known to be an affable man and warm host, Surinder Kapoor made friends easily, and for a lifetime.

Shabana Azmi, a close friend of Boney and Anil Kapoor remembers Surinder Kapoor fondly. Says Shabana, "I am deeply saddened by his death. He was very warm towards my father (poet Kaifi Azmi) and me. I met him a couple of months ago.

He was in good spirits. He had a lovely sense of humour and was always poking fun at himself. My heartfelt condolences to Nirmalji (Mrs Surinder Kapoor), Boney, Anil, Sanjay, sister Reena and the family. "