Filmmaker Ayan Mukerji's father, veteran actor Deb Mukerjee passed away on March 14 in Mumbai, at the age of 83 after battling age-related health issues. On Tuesday, Ayan held a prayer meet for his late father at Filmalaya Studio, Andheri, Mumbai. Overwhelmed with grief, he was seen requesting paparazzi to respect his privacy during this difficult time, reminding them that this was a personal event, not a Durga Puja.

Ayan was heard saying, "Andar bohot commercial hoga, but it is a prayer meet. Agar aapko lag raha hai ki achhe shots nahi mil rahe, toh I am sorry, humare liye aaj aisa hi better hai. Humare paas jagah nahi hai, humne shlokas rakhe hain. Agar photographers aayenge, toh awaaz hogi, aur wahaan jagah bhi nahi hai. Please, aaj ke liye rehne do. Please understand."

Check out the video:

Ayan, who appeared emotional, further added, "Yeh humare liye bohot personal event hai, it is not a Durga Puja event. It is very different for us today, so please understand. If you don't get any visuals today, I am sorry."