By Subhash K. Jha, IANS

Manoj Punj, director of one of the most successful Punjabi films "Shaheed-e-Mohabbat", died suddenly on Oct 22. He was 36-years-old.

Divya Dutta, who worked in four back-to-back feature films with Punj and was exceptionally close to the young director, is inconsolable.

"His end was so sudden, so shocking. On the afternoon of Oct 22, Manoj and I were planning a surprise birthday party for Gurdas Maan's wife Manjit (who has produced all of Punj's films). Half an hour later Manjit called to say Manoj was no more. He died of a massive cardiac arrest," Divya told IANS.

"For me it was like an instant replay of my father's death. He died at the age of 26 of a cardiac arrest when I was just a child."

Divya, who played stellar roles in Punj's Punjabi films - "Shaheed-e-Mohabbat", (remade by Anil Sharma as "Gadar - Ek Prem Katha"), "Des Hoya Pardes", "Waris Shah Ishq Da Waris" - and the Hindi "Zindagi Khubsoorat Hai", can't believe her dear friend is gone.

"He was a serious caring sort of guy. The only time I've seen him play a prank was when he made Sushant Singh do a scene with the camera switched off for 'Waris Shah Ishq Da Waris'."

Before his death Punj went to the US to promote his film "Waris Shah...".

"Last week all of us - Gurdas Maan, his wife Manjit, Manoj and I were in the States promoting 'Waris Shah...' Over there, I introduced him to all the games that I used to play as a child. He was so happy, so childlike."

"Manoj treated me with such tender care. On the flight back from the US, I dozed off with my reading glasses. He quietly removed my glasses and put a blanket on me.

"God, how heartbreaking it was to see him so still knowing that he would never wake up again. He has an old 80-plus mother. Who'll look after her?"

Manoj was on the verge of starting a film for Tips and of course, another one for his dear friend Gurdas Maan.

"Of course, god had other plans," Divya said bitterly.