Veteran director Harmesh Malhotra, who helmed films like Nagina and Nigahen, passed away in Mumbai on Tuesday.

The 66-year-old director died of a cardiac arrest, family sources said.

Malhotra, whose roots are from the Khusab region in Pakistan, migrated to Agra after the Partition and, after his graduation, came to Mumbai to make a career in films.

His first movie was Beti, starring Sanjay Khan and Nanda, in 1969. He launched his own production house, HM Productions, in 1972.

Malhotra is best remembered for Nagina (1986), starring Rishi Kapoor, Sridevi and Amrish Puri. He also made a sequel to it, called Nigahen, in 1989. One of his other popular films is Dulhe Raja (1998), starring Govinda.

He is survived by his wife Manju and their two daughters, Kajal Banerjee and Payal Malhotra.