Mumbai: Former motorsport administrator, former vice-president of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) racer, race organiser and the owner of Liberty cinema, Nazir Hoosein, passed away on Sunday at 7 pm at the Bombay Hospital. He had been struggling with ill health for the past few months.
Hoosein was also the head of Motorsport Association of India and a former president of FMSCI (Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India). He started the popular Himalayan Rally in 1980 and also served as a steward at Formula 1 races. He was also the founder of the Indian Automotive Racing Club. The Great Desert Himalayan Rally was one of the most popular races in the Indian circuit, which ran from the Thar desert, Rajasthan, through Shivalik Hills and Ladakh.
Hoosein continued his family legacy of running Liberty cinema, once the most popular theatre for film premieres. Built in March 1949, Liberty cinema is one of the last few remnants of the Art Deco style buildings and Hoosein fought hard to retain it, especially in times when the Maharashtra government had turned multiplexes into tourist spots, offering special sops. The last rites will be held at Chandanwadi electric crematorium on Tuesday.
