‘Alia Bhatt, Soni Razdan paid for Kalpana Lajmi’s dialysis till the very end’, says her mother Lalitha Lajmi

Actor Alia Bhatt was among those who came forward to help acclaimed filmmaker Kalpana Lajmi when she required regular dialysis in 2017. Both of Kalpana’s kidneys had stopped functioning after she fought cancer of the kidney and a severe case of UTI. Kalpana later died in 2018 at the age of 64.

Now, Kalpana’s mother, veteran painter Lalitha Lajmi, has spoken about the director and those who came forward to help her in her final days. She said that Alia Bhatt and her mother Soni Razdan helped pay for Kalpana’s dialysis till the very end.

Speaking to Pinkvilla, she said, “She had to undergo regular dialysis. Aamir Khan was the first person to offer help. He sent cheques directly into her account. Some other directors also contributed. Soni Razdan and Alia Bhatt paid for her dialysis till the very end. They were extremely close to Kalpana. In fact, Alia was born in front of her. I am deeply grateful to all those who helped. There were other expenses, too. Thankfully, her medical insurance was of great help.”

Back in November 2017, Kalpana had thanked Bollywood celebrities for helping her out. “They all have helped me, from Aamir Khan, Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association, Rohit Shetty, Salman Khan, Karan Johar, Alia Bhatt, Soni Razdan, Neena Gupta. All of them have come forward and helped me during my worst. It is a financially draining and a continuous lifelong process,” she had told PTI.

Also read: My work is optimistic now: Veteran artist Lalitha Lajmi

“I am thankful to my film fraternity for standing by me in this phase. Specially my mother, my brother and Shyam Benegal for their constant support,” she added.

Kalpana was the niece of the actor Guru Dutt and was acclaimed for making women-oriented films like Rudaali, Ek Pal, Daman and Chingaari. She was also in a relationship with singer Bhupen Hazarika for many years. The two never got married.