MUMBAI: Director Abhishek Varman is going through a difficult phase. He lost his father, R Verman, who was a renowned art director.

At the age of 72, R Verman succumbed to cardiac arrest last night. Abhishek, who has directed 2 states and Kalank, performed the last rites at the Oshiwara crematorium. According to Mumbai Mirror reports, filmmaker Karan Johar, Varun Dhawan, Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, directors Shashank Khaitan and Anurag Singh also came down to meet him to offer condolences.

R Verman aka Ratna Verman Shetty was an alumnus of Mumbai’s JJ School of Art. After completing his education, he started his own publicity designing and cine advertising company. While working as a publicity designer, he became interested in art direction and worked as an assistant of noted art director Sudhendu Roy for a few years before becoming a full-fledged art director. From then on he went on to work in more than 350 films.