Veteran action director Veeru Devgn passed away on Monday. The director was admitted to Surya hospital in Santacruz in the morning after he complained of breathlessness.

He later suffered a cardiac arrest and passed away.

His funeral will be held at 6 pm in Mumbai’s Vile Parle West crematorium.

Having worked as a stunt director in Bollywood, he worked in more than 80 films. Veeru also helmed the 1999 film, Hindustan Ki Kasam starring his son Ajay Devgn, Amitabh Bachchan, Manisha Koirala and Sushmita Sen.

Some of his well-known works include Dilwale (1994), Himmatwala (1983)and Shahenshaah (1988).

Fellow stunt director and Vicky Kaushal’s father Sham Kaushal expressed grief at Devgn’s death.

He wrote on Twitter, “RIP Veeru Devgan ji. Just came to know about this sad news. As an Action Director always ahead of his time and as human being par excellence. I became a stuntman with his blessings on 8th August, 1980 as he signed my application to become a stuntman and made me part of his team.”

RIP Veeru Devgan ji. 🙏🏻🙏🏻Just came to know about this sad news. As an Action Director always ahead of his times & as human being par excellence. I became a stuntman with his blessings on 8th August, 1980 as he signed my application to become a stuntman & made me part of his team.

— Sham kaushal (@ShamKaushal) May 27, 2019

My first day of shoot as a stuntman, stunt double & my first outdoor shoot was under him. He fed me in his house when I did not have anything to eat. Can’t help crying while writing this. 🙏🏻🙏🏻

— Sham kaushal (@ShamKaushal) May 27, 2019

Years ago, when the Singham franchise was launched, in an interview with TOI when Ajay Devgn was asked who the real Singham of his life was, he had said that it was his father.

“The Singham in my life can only be my father. Because he is a man who came to Bombay at that point in time with `4 in his pocket, wanting to become something, struggled, washed and lived in taxis so he could live here, did not eat food for eight days at times, worked so hard, became a street fighter from there till Mr Ravi Khanna saw him one day asking him whether he would become a fight director. From there, his growth from nowhere to become India’s topmost action director is remarkable.

“I have seen him getting so much respect that some of the biggest actors would touch his feet, wanting to work with him. By the time I was born, he had enough money. As a kid and being an action director’s son, I still had the same lifestyle I have today, including owning a Mercedes. He has 50 stitches in his head and has broken every bone in his body. So no one else can be my Singham.”

Veeru Devgn was last seen in public attending a special screening of Ajay Devgn starrer Total Dhamaal at a preview theatre in Santacruz.