Nishikant was a great guy, says friend Riteish Deshmukh, mourning the loss of the National award winning filmmaker

Actor-Filmmaker Nishikant Kamat, 50, known for directing films like Drishyam, Lai Bhaari, Force, Mumbai Meri Jaan, Dombivli Fast passed away today in a Hyderabad hospital. He was admitted on July 31 owing to chronic liver disease and his condition deteriorated in the past few days. He was in a critical condition and on ventilator.
The news of his death was initially inaccurately reported in the morning of August 17 on social media.Actor Riteish Deshmukh, a friend of Nishi, with whom he made Marathi blockbuster Lai Bhaari, clarified and told Bombay Times in the noon, “Nishikant is still on ventilator. I will wait for the doctors to confirm.” The actor confirmed the news to us in the evening that Nishikant is no more. “He was a great guy. I will miss my friend” said the actor.
In an interview with Bombay Times in 2017, speaking about balancing acting and directing, Nishikant said, “At heart, I am a director, acting is just a hobby. I don't act to be famous. I do it for fun.” The director enjoyed to spend time with friends on Mumbai Kattas, loved the unpredictability of life. “I am not certain about my career. I am bit of a circuit. I didn't make films for three years out of choice. I was so drained that I left the country. I was living in the US for 18 months and didn't talk to anyone. I have that madness in me. I am capable of shutting shop any moment. I don't want to prove anything to anyone. I will do what I want to. I can't get tied down by marriage and miss out on that. I am not eccentric but I am a bit of a wacko. Artistes are prone to nursing a lot of internal conflict. I tend to over-think a lot as well.”
Speaking of his friends in the industry, the Mumbaikar recalled Riteish, John and Irrfan. About John he added, “There are no middlemen. We talk to each other directly and are just a phone call away. John and I are friends first but we have never misused the friendship. I remember I didn't have John's dates for three months last year. I asked him if I could make 'Drishyam' in that time and he was fine with it. Since he is a friend, I could ask him that and he didn't take it the wrong way. Both of us have a problem with being social (laughs). We are not the type who'd meet every day. We are immersed in our own things. But when we do meet, it feels like we had met yesterday. Also, I've never differentiated between industry and non-industry friends. All my friends come over to have chai at my (Versova) office. Even John comes sometimes in the morning. He loves to have black tea here. Riteish Deshmukh comes over to chat, Irrfan even holds meetings in my office. (Imitates him), 'Eh yaar, tere office mein karu kya meeting?' Whenever he is in Mumbai, he comes over. I don't limit my friends to the film industry.”