Neeraj Vora

Neeraj Vora
Vora in July 2012
Born	(1963-01-22)22 January 1963 Bhuj, Gujarat, India
Died	14 December 2017(2017-12-14) (aged 54) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Occupations	Film director writer actor film producer composer
Years active	1984–2017
Parents	Pandit Vinayak Rai Vora (father) Premila Vora (mother)
Relatives	Uttank Vora (Brother) Chhaya Vora (Sister-in-law)

Neeraj Vora (22 January 1963 – 14 December 2017) was an Indian film director, writer, actor and composer from Gujarat.^[1] He made a mark in Bollywood with his work as a writer for Ram Gopal Verma's film Rangeela (1995). His directorial debut was Akshay Kumar starrer Khiladi 420 in 2000 and also directed Phir Hera Pheri (2006). He has written screenplay and dialogues of some popular Bollywood comedy films including Hera Pheri franchise, Garam Masala (2005), Bhagam Bhag (2006), Golmaal: Fun Unlimited (2006), Bhool Bhulaiya (2007). As an actor, His notable work includes Mann (1999), Hello Brother (1999), Khatta Meetha (2010), Bol Bachchan (2012).

He suffered a stroke in October 2016, putting him in coma. He was working on Hera Pheri 3 before he went into coma and died on 14 December 2017 at 4 a.m. in Criticare hospital, Mumbai.^[2][3]

Vora was born in Bhuj, Gujarat in a Gujarati family in 1963. But he grew up in Santacruz, a suburb of Mumbai, Maharashtra. His father, Pandit Vinayak Rai Nanalal Vora^[4] was a classical musician and a proponent of Tar-Shehnai. His father popularised Tar-Shehnai as the solo instrument for classical music.^[5]

As a child, Vora had no access to Bollywood movies. As he hailed from a classical musician's family, listening to film music and watching films was not allowed. His mother Premila Ben^[6] had a tremendous fascination for films, and she used to secretly take her son Neeraj to watch movies. Vora went to famous Pupils' Own School in Khar, Mumbai.^{[citation needed]} Many famous celebrities such as Falguni Pathank, Kinjal Bakshi, Tina Munim were his compatriots at this school.^{[citation needed]}

Many students from his school used to attend music coaching classes conducted by his father, who insisted on teaching classical Indian music while Neeraj would sneakily teach them how to play Bollywood songs on harmonium. This made Neeraj very popular at the school.^{[citation needed]}

Luckily, a lot of Gujarati drama stalwarts followed his father's work and knew him personally, following which he got inclined towards Gujarati theatre. His love for theatre began at the age of 6, and when his father discovered this at the age of 13, he supported Vora and asked him to follow his passion.^{[citation needed]}

During his college days, he started working professionally as an actor and he received intercollegiate awards for drama. In 1984, he worked for the film Holi, by Ketan Mehta^[7] and later did a television show Choti Badi Baatien, Circus.

He later worked as an actor in Rangeela too, as the film director wanted to bring down the sets and the actor was absent. Neeraj Vora, who had written the script, played the role to finish shooting. After seeing that scene, Anil Kapoor and Priyadarshan called him for Virasat, followed by Aamir for Mann and several other projects.^[8]

His 1992 Gujarati play Aflatoon, which was a superhit was adapted by Rohit Shetty for Golmaal. The play was written and directed by Neeraj Vora.

After Circus in 1993, Neeraj Vora, Ashutosh Gowarikar and Deepak Tijori got together and made Pehla Nasha, with Deepak Tijori as lead actor. Neeraj Vora was the writer and his he along with his brother directed music as Neeraj-Uttank. Later his career in writing took off after he wrote for Rangeela and then Akele Hum Akele Tum, Josh, Badshah, Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, Awara Paagal Deewana, Deewane Huye Paagal, Ajnabee, Hera Pheri and Phir Hera Pheri among many others. Vora's work has always been appreciated by the critics. For Phir Hera Pheri, film critic Taran Adarsh said: "Vora's dialogues, as always, are outstanding!"^[9]

He first directed Khiladi 420, which did not fare well. After that he decided to produce movies and took up Familywala. After writing Awara Paagal Deewana and Deewane Huye Paagal for Firoz Nadiadwala, they collaborated for Phir Hera Pheri, which was to be directed by Satish Kaushik, but following the problems with dates, Neeraj Vora got the chance to direct it.^{[citation needed]}

Vora was slated to direct Hera Pheri 3, but ultimately was replaced by Ahmed Khan following the departure of actors John Abraham, Abhishek Bachchan and Sunil Shetty, due to conflicts with Vora.^[10] Vora was retained as the film's executive producer, but following his stroke in October 2016 and his death in December 2017, it was confirmed on 11 May 2018, that Hera Pheri 3 will now be directed by Indra Kumar. But now Indra Kumar has left the film and the original director Priyadarshan has confirmed that he will direct the movie with the three original protagonists Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty and Paresh Rawal.^[11]

Neeraj Vora, who had been suffering from an illness for a long time, died at the age of 54 on 14 December 2017. The actor-director was reportedly in a coma for 13 months after suffering from a massive heart-attack and brain stroke. He reportedly breathed his last at 4 am at Criti Care hospital in Andheri, Mumbai. Vora had been staying at producer Firoz Nadiadwala's house since October 2016 after slipping into coma due to a heart-attack followed by a brain stroke. Nadiadwala had brought him to his home and converted a room into a makeshift Intensive Care Unit (ICU).^[12][13]

• Run Bhola Run (shelved)
• Shortkut: The Con Is On (2009)
• Familywala (2009)
• Phir Hera Pheri (2006)
• Khiladi 420 (2000)

List of Neeraj Vora film credits

Title	Year	Actor	Director	Writer	Notes
Run Bhola Run	2019	No	Yes	Yes	shelved
Welcome Back	2015	Yes	No	No	Badshah Khan
Kamaal Dhamaal Malamaal	2013	No	No	Yes
Phata Poster Nikhla Hero	2013	Yes	No	No
Bol Bachchan	2012	Yes	No	No	Maakhan
Department	2012	Yes	No	No
Kamaal Dhamaal Malamaal	2012	Yes	No	No
Tezz	2012	Yes	No	No
Bin Bulaye Baraati	2011	Yes	No	No	police commissioner
Khatta Meetha	2010	Yes	No	No
Na Ghar Ke Na Ghaat Ke	2010	Yes	No	No
Familywala	2009	Yes	Yes	No
Shortkut: The Con Is On	2009	No	Yes	Yes
Bhagam Bhag	2007	No	No	Yes
Bhool Bhulaiyaa	2007	No	No	Yes
Fool N Final	2007	No	No	Yes
Chup Chup Ke	2006	No	No	Yes	dialogue
Golmaal: Fun Unlimited	2006	No	No	Yes
Phir Hera Pheri	2006	No	Yes	Yes
Deewane Huye Paagal	2005	No	No	Yes	dialogue
Garam Masala	2005	No	No	Yes	dialogue
Kasak	2005	No	No	Yes
Hulchul	2004	No	No	Yes
Khushi	2003	Yes	No	No	Shimbhu Moshai
Kuch Naa kaho	2003	No	No	Yes
Hungama	2003	No	No	Yes	dialogue
Tujhe Meri Kasam	2003	No	No	Yes	dialogue
Company	2002	Yes	No	No
Kehta Hai Dil Baar Baar	2002	No	No	Yes	dialogue
Maine Dil Tujhko Diya	2002	Yes	No	No	College Principal
Tum Se Achcha Kaun Hai	2002	Yes	No	No
Awaara Paagal Deewana	2002	No	No	Yes	dialogue
Yeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa Ghar	2001	Yes	No	No
Ajnabee	2001	No	No	Yes
Chori Chori Chupke Chupke	2001	No	No	Yes	story
Yeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa Ghar	2001	No	No	Yes
Dhadkan	2000	Yes	No	No
Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega	2000	Yes	No	No
Jung	2000	Yes	No	No
Pukar	2000	Yes	No	No
Hera Pheri	2000	No	No	Yes
Josh	2000	No	No	Yes
Khiladi 420	2000	No	Yes	Yes
Mela	2000	No	No	Yes
Baadshah	1999	Yes	No	Yes	Dr. Rusi Surti of the CBI
Hello Brother	1999	Yes	No	No	Sr. Inspector
Mann	1999	Yes	No	No
Mast	1999	Yes	No	No
Satya	1998	Yes	No	No
Daud: Fun on the Run	1997	Yes	No	No
Virasat	1997	Yes	No	No
Akele Hum Akele Tum	1995	Yes	No	No
Rangeela	1995	Yes	No	No
Baazi	1995	No	No	Yes
Rangeela	1995	No	No	Yes	dialogue
Pehla Nasha	1993	No	No	Yes
Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman	1992	Yes	No	No
Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro	1989	Yes	No	No
Holi	1984	Yes	No	No

• Neeraj Vora at IMDb
• Bollywoodhungama.com