# Prem Sagar (प्रेम सागर) (cinematographer)
**Prem Sagar** (प्रेम सागर; 17 December 1940 – 31 August 2025) was an Indian cinematographer, producer, and director who worked in [Hindi cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindi-cinema) and television, chiefly for his father [Ramanand Sagar](https://www.edgepedia.org/ramanand-sagar)'s production house Sagar Arts, and who handled the marketing of the landmark television serial *Ramayan* (1987)[1](https://www.profileage.com/profile/prem-sagar/) • [2](https://production.sagarworld.com/about-us). He died in Mumbai on 31 August 2025; NDTV reported his age as 84, while a Press-trust-sourced report in *Glamour* gave it as 82[3](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/ramayan-director-ramanand-sagars-son-prem-sagar-dies-at-9190738/amp/1) • [4](https://www.yugmarg.com/edition/2025/09/01/pages.pdf).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | 17 December 1940, Lahore; 31 August 2025, Mumbai (age reported as 84, one report as 82)[1](https://www.profileage.com/profile/prem-sagar/) • [3](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/ramayan-director-ramanand-sagars-son-prem-sagar-dies-at-9190738/amp/1) • [4](https://www.yugmarg.com/edition/2025/09/01/pages.pdf) |
| Training | Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, 1968 batch, specializing in cinematography; gold medal for best academic student and silver medal for best photographed student film[2](https://production.sagarworld.com/about-us) • [5](https://starsunfolded.com/prem-sagar/) |
| Cinematography debut | *Lalkar* (1972), a war-backdrop romance starring Dharmendra, Mala Sinha, and Rajendra Kumar, which won awards including cinematography recognitions[2](https://production.sagarworld.com/about-us) |
| Known films | Cinematographer or technical adviser on *Ankhen*, *Charas*, *Bhagawat*, *Hamrahi*, *Pyara Dushman*, *Armaan*, *Jalte Badan*, *Badal*, *Prem Bandhan*, and *Salma*[2](https://production.sagarworld.com/about-us) |
| Direction | *Hum Tere Ashiq Hain* (1979), starring Jeetendra and Hema Malini, inspired by Bernard Shaw's *Pygmalion*[2](https://production.sagarworld.com/about-us) |
| Television | Produced and directed *Vikram Aur Betaal* (1985), Indian television's first fantasy soap; technical advisor and marketing head for *Ramayan* (1987)[2](https://production.sagarworld.com/about-us) • [6](https://sagarpictures.com/tv-shows/ramayan) |
| Honors | Indian Television Academy Lifetime Achievement (2009), TellyChakkar Lifetime Achievement (2010), fellowship of the India International Photographic Council (2018)[2](https://production.sagarworld.com/about-us) |
## Early life and training
Prem Sagar was born in Lahore in December 1940; after the partition of India and Pakistan his family moved to India and settled in Mumbai[1](https://www.profileage.com/profile/prem-sagar/) • [5](https://starsunfolded.com/prem-sagar/). He was the eldest son of the filmmaker Ramanand Sagar and Leelavati Sagar, with brothers Anand, Moti, and Subhash and a sister, Sarita[5](https://starsunfolded.com/prem-sagar/). He studied at [The Doon School](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-doon-school), Dehradun, and [St. Xavier's College, Mumbai](https://www.edgepedia.org/st-xaviers-college-mumbai), before enrolling at the [Film and Television Institute of India](https://www.edgepedia.org/film-and-television-institute-of-india) (FTII) in Pune to specialize in cinematography[5](https://starsunfolded.com/prem-sagar/). While at FTII he helmed the diploma short *One Plus One*, and he graduated as the year's top academic performer, earning a gold medal, along with a silver medal for the student film judged best photographed.[2](https://production.sagarworld.com/about-us) • [5](https://starsunfolded.com/prem-sagar/)
## Film career
Unlike most FTII graduates, he did not have to look for work: his family's production house Sagar Arts absorbed him immediately, and his father entrusted him with the cinematography of *Lalkar*, which went on to win several awards including recognitions for its cinematography[2](https://production.sagarworld.com/about-us). He then served as cinematographer or technical adviser on a run of Sagar Arts films through the 1970s and 1980s, including *Ankhen*, *Jalte Badan* (1973), *Charas* (1976), *Prem Bandhan* (1979), *Pyara Dushman* (1980), *Armaan* (1981), *Hamrahi* (1982), *Bhagawat* (1982), *Badal* (1982), and *Salma* (1985)[2](https://production.sagarworld.com/about-us) • [5](https://starsunfolded.com/prem-sagar/). Critics particularly praised his glamorization of [Hema Malini](https://www.edgepedia.org/hema-malini) in *[Charas](https://www.edgepedia.org/charas-1976-film)*, and he won recognitions and critical acclaim as cinematographer of *Hamrahi*, starring [Randhir Kapoor](https://www.edgepedia.org/randhir-kapoor) and Tanuja[2](https://production.sagarworld.com/about-us).
He moved into direction with *Hum Tere Ashiq Hain* (1979), which he also produced; the [Jeetendra](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeetendra) and Hema Malini film, based on a subject inspired by Bernard Shaw's *Pygmalion*, received enthusiastic reviews for its story and visual charm[2](https://production.sagarworld.com/about-us). Sagar World credits him with a total of 15 awards as Director of Photography, alongside accomplishments in still photography[2](https://production.sagarworld.com/about-us).
## Television career
When television spread across India in the 1980s, Prem Sagar produced and directed *Vikram Aur Betaal*, described by Sagar World as Indian television's first fantasy soap; telecast on [Doordarshan](https://www.edgepedia.org/doordarshan) in a non-prime slot, it became a hit and prepared the ground for the Sagar banner's full entry into television with *Ramayan* in 1987[2](https://production.sagarworld.com/about-us). On *Ramayan* he is credited as technical advisor (1986) and, on the re-master, as executive producer[6](https://sagarpictures.com/tv-shows/ramayan). After the initial research, set-up, videography, and special effects, he took charge of marketing the free commercial time in the serial's Sunday 9 am slot, and Sagar World credits his marketing with placing the serial in 55 countries[2](https://production.sagarworld.com/about-us).
He went on to produce serials including *Shri Krishna*, *Alif Laila* (1993–1997, 304 episodes, on which he is also credited as director for 1997), *Hatim*, *Sai Baba*, *Jai Ganga Maiya*, *Prithviraj Chauhan*, and *Chandragupta Maurya*, and to direct *Jai Maa Durga*, *Mahima Shani Dev Ki*, *Jai Jai Jai Bajrang Bali*, and *Basera*[2](https://production.sagarworld.com/about-us) • [7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0755996/). *Mahima Shani Dev Ki* ran for three years on Imagine TV with him as creative head from 2010, and *Jai Jai Jai Bajrang Bali* ran 700 episodes on Sahara TV[2](https://production.sagarworld.com/about-us).
## Photography honors and later work
His still photography brought fellowships from the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain and the Fédération Internationale de l'Art Photographique in Paris, a silver medal at the Oregon State Fair, bronze medals at the international photo competition in Santiago, Chile, and a UNESCO award in Tokyo[2](https://production.sagarworld.com/about-us). In 2018 the India International Photographic Council awarded him a fellowship[2](https://production.sagarworld.com/about-us). He served on the governing council of FTII, the examining panel of the [Union Public Service Commission](https://www.edgepedia.org/union-public-service-commission), the selection panel of the Western India Cinematographers' Association, and the juries of the Apsara, Screen, and Filmfare awards[2](https://production.sagarworld.com/about-us) • [5](https://starsunfolded.com/prem-sagar/).
With his son Shiv Sagar he founded Sagar World Multimedia, and he spearheaded the Ramanand Sagar Foundation, a non-profit registered in Mumbai, as its chairman and managing director[8](https://www.sagarworld.com/about-us/) • [9](https://www.ramanandsagarfoundation.com/who-we-are/). After more than 20 years of research, including voice recordings of his father and interviews with over 100 people, he wrote the biography *An Epic Life: Ramanand Sagar, From Barsaat to Ramayan*, published by Westland Publications; an unabridged Hindi translation appeared from Prabhat Prakashan as *Ramanand Sagar Ke Jeevan Ki Akath Kahani*[2](https://production.sagarworld.com/about-us) • [9](https://www.ramanandsagarfoundation.com/who-we-are/).
## Death
Prem Sagar died in Mumbai on 31 August 2025 at 10 am, after a period of illness during which he had been admitted to Breach Candy Hospital; his cremation was held the same day at the Pawan Hans cremation ground[3](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/ramayan-director-ramanand-sagars-son-prem-sagar-dies-at-9190738/amp/1). Colleagues including Sunil Lahiri, who played Laxman in *Ramayan*, publicly mourned him[10](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/ramanand-sagars-son-cinematogapher-director-prem-sagar-passes-away-the-industry-mourns-his-loss/articleshow/123613649.cms).
## References
1. [Prem Sagar (1940–2025) Biography, Profile Age](https://www.profileage.com/profile/prem-sagar/)
2. [Prem Sagar, Sagar World – About Us](https://production.sagarworld.com/about-us)
3. [Ramayan Director Ramanand Sagar's Son Prem Sagar Dies At 84, NDTV](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/ramayan-director-ramanand-sagars-son-prem-sagar-dies-at-9190738/amp/1)
4. [Glamour e-paper, 1 September 2025, Yugmarg](https://www.yugmarg.com/edition/2025/09/01/pages.pdf)
5. [Prem Sagar Age, Death, Wife, Children, Family, Biography, StarsUnfolded](https://starsunfolded.com/prem-sagar/)
6. [Ramayan, Sagar Pictures Entertainment](https://sagarpictures.com/tv-shows/ramayan)
7. [Prem Sagar (I), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0755996/)
8. [About Sagar World – The Legacy of Ramanand Sagar](https://www.sagarworld.com/about-us/)
9. [Who We Are, Ramanand Sagar Foundation](https://www.ramanandsagarfoundation.com/who-we-are/)
10. [Ramanand Sagar's son, cinematographer, director Prem Sagar passes away, Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/ramanand-sagars-son-cinematogapher-director-prem-sagar-passes-away-the-industry-mourns-his-loss/articleshow/123613649.cms)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Cinematographers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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