Bollywood producer Ryan Ivan Stephen has passed away after reportedly contracting Covid-19, leaving his industry colleagues heartbroken.
Actor Manoj Bajpayee expressed shock at his untimely demise and said that he would miss his good 'friend'. The Satya star described him as a 'gentle soul'
The Family Man writer Suparn Varma recalled his association with Ryan and revealed that the two had bonded while working on a few stories. He added that his death highlighted the 'cruel' nature of life.
"Life is cruel! But you were kind! @ryanmstephen thank you for your compassion in a ruthless world. I’m glad we undertook a journey on a few stories, the joy in writing them was because of you. You leave behind so many who loved you. Cook up a storm my friend. God bless you," he tweeted.
Kiara Advani too remembered him and said that he had 'gone too soon'
He was associated with Karan Johar's Dharma Productions and began his career by working as a production designer on the 2005 release Rog. The film was directed by Himanshu Brahmbhatt and featured Irrfan Khan in the lead. It revolved around the journey of a lonely detective who finds himself in an unusual situation while investigating a murder.
Ryan turned producer with the short film Devi, starring Kajol. It revolved around the sensitive issue of 'sexual violence' and garnered attention due to the hard-hitting presentation. The cast included Shruti Haasan, Neha Dhupia and young actor Shivani Raghuvanshi.
Ryan also produced the Kiara Advani-starrer Indoo Ki Jawani, one of the first films to release in theatres after the Covid-19 lockdown last year. It revolved around the adventures of a young woman from Ghaziabad and catered to the 'Gen Y' audience. The movie received praise from the actor's fans but could not make an impact at the box office as theatres were operating at 50 per cent capacity to ensure social distancing.