LAHORE, Dec 30: Film director Javed Fazil’s funeral will be held in Lahore on Ist January after his widow and two sons will reach Pakistan from US on Saturday, his son Shan Fazil told Dawn. Fazil (70) passed away on Wednesday in Karachi.

The body was brought at Lahore airport by a Shaheen Airlines flight at 2:30am on Thursday, and was taken to a hospital in Defence area where it would be kept in the mortuary till Saturday.

The funeral will be held in Allama Iqbal Town’s Kashmir Block after Zohar prayers.

The late Javed Fazil joined film fraternity in 1962 as an assistant director. He first assisted Qadeer Ghauri for his film Daaman and then did four other movies -- Insaan, Mehmaan, Najo and Arzoo -- with Mr Ghauri as his chief assistant. He also assisted director Laeeq Akhtar for a movie ‘Naureen’.

The next director he assisted for over 10 movies was S. Suleman. Prominent among those were Zeenat, Society, Uff Ye Beewiyan, Gumrah, Insaniyat, Zanjeer and Baharoon Ki Manzil.

In 1971 Fazil directed a movie ‘Meray Jeevan Sathi’ produced by film actress Deeba which took four years to complete. However, the film could not be released due to unknown circumstances.

He became an independent director with his first release "Goonj" in 1977. During his career, he directed some 22 films. Of these Saima, Aahat, Dehleez and Lazawaal proved mega hits at box office.

Before his death he was directing a private production by Humayun Saeed, ‘Aurat Ka Ghar Kaunsa’.

Fazil is survived by three sons and a daughter. Two of his sons and widow are settled in USA.

The film circles have expressed grief and sorrow over the death of Javed Fazil.