MUMBAI: When Bollywood biggies gave veteran actor A.K. Hangal’s funeral a miss, it raised many eyebrows. Filmmaker Subhash Ghai hit back at the criticism, saying the industry does not believe in showing off.

“See, you people can create a tragedy (controversy) very quickly if you want to. Every time whenever someone goes, those people who were close to him or have worked with the person come,” the 67-year-old said here Monday at a function organised in memory of late cinematographer Ashok Mehta.

“Today Shabana Azmi has gone to a show that has been organised in his (A.K. Hangal) memory. She is also doing a play there. Don’t you believe the industry respects him? They do, but showing up is not the only way to show respect,” he added.

Hangal died Sunday after a prolonged illness and was cremated the same day at Vile Parle crematorium. He was 97.

Ghai also had a few words of praise for Hangal.

“Hangal saab was a very senior actor, to work for 50 years is not easy. We appreciate him – as a character artist, as a person he worked with me in two films, ‘Khalnayak’ and ‘Krodhi.’ He was a great theatre personality,” he said.