Kalpana Lajmi seriously ailing

She was the queen of all she surveyed. Kalpana Lajmi was the director to watch out for, the most promising female director since Aparna Sen, when Ek Pal and then Rudaali stormed the festivals and even made a neat profit.

Today at 62, Kalpana is isolated and in desperate need of financial aid for a serious kidney ailment. Kalpana who used up all her savings to look after her mentor and companion Bhupen Hazarika in his dying days, is isolated and all but forgotten. Shockingly, the bio-pic on slain actress Priya Rajvansh which Kalpana was supposed to direct has quietly passed on to another director.

A sure sign that the film industry has forgotten her. In this hour of need only a few close friends Neena Gupta, Ila Arun and Soni Razdan are there by Kalpana's side. In fact, Soni, we came to know, is trying to organise a regular fund for Kalpana's treatment along likeminded friends Mukesh Bhatt, Kulmeet Makkar and Vinta Malik.

Says Soni, "She is dealing with a kidney illness. She had to undergo regular dialysis. And that's quite daunting. But she is being very strong about it. Kalpana is determined to get well."

We wish Kalpana a quick recovery and hope that her colleagues from the film fraternity would come forward with financial assistance.