MUMBAI, Aug. 26 -- The role of a production manager is rarely given its due, though every theatre group knows how crucial it is. A performance is never just a single night under the lights; it is the sum of very many moving parts, and Sachin Kamani understood how to keep them in motion. On August 24, the 47-year-old died after struggling with an aggressive form of brain tumour. Kamani could calm an anxious actor, find the simplest meals without lowering the standard, gather the crew to build sets, arrange a place to stay, organise transport, and at the end of it all, suggest which bars to land up in post-show. Nothing was beneath his notice, and nothing escaped his grasp. His funeral, held on Sunday night at the Oshiwara crematorium, was attended by a stream of theatre persons across generations. Playwright Bhushan Korgaonkar, whose troupe of lavni performers Kamani had taken to St Petersburg in 2023, said, "A family member speaking at the funeral said it was only now that they realised how many people cared for him, seeing so many from his work life gathered there." Director Rajat Kapoor, whose company Kamani was long associated with, stood with the family, receiving those who came to offer condolences. The gathering stayed on till the last rites. And, breaking with custom, the many women present walked with his pyre all the way to the end. Director Anamika Haksar wrote on Facebook that Kamani was one of those rare people who was "so naturally loving, so non-egoistic". In her note, scholar Asha Kuthari Chaudhuri called him the quintessential backroom boy who held the entire edifice together, noting his mix of detail, negotiation, hard work and friendship. Actor Aarti Aaney evoked him through the details of his life, from his muslin kurtas and odd Hinglish turns of phrase to the endless cigarettes he smoked and the back-of-an-envelope calculations he made to stick to a tight budget. While Kamani managed productions for top-tier troupes, he was just as ready to advise fledgling companies, offering time and guidance without condescension. Those he worked with most closely included Kapoor's Cinematograph, Atul Kumar's The Company Theatre, Jyoti Dogra and the Patchworks Ensemble. The latter's founder Sheena Khalid, said, "When you work in theatre, you are working against everything-time, budget, deadlines, facilities. Sachin always had a 'We'll figure something out' mentality." Sheena recalled how Kamani could conjure things out of thin air, adding little touches such as flowers in green rooms. When she was recovering from a leg surgery, he turned up to make sure that she got through a difficult patch. This was an apt illustration of who he was: a person who not just kept the work going but also the people. Every now and then, his presence was recognised publicly. In 2024, at the 15th-anniversary celebrations of Aarambh at Prithvi Theatre, the evening began with four production managers, Kamani among them, lighting the ceremonial lamp. It was a gesture that acknowledged the quiet labour without which theatre cannot stand. In recent months, his family had set up a campaign to support his treatment, and innumerable people contributed. As Haksar noted, "The way his theatre friends have been around him and cared for him is a lesson for life." There were very few moments when Kamani stood in front of the lights. Jyoti Dogra's play Maas was one-in it, he played the manager of Dogra's character, arriving on stage with the items that she had demanded like a bottle of powder and a cushion. He walked in like a pro dressed in a glitzy shirt and red trousers, colours that made his brief entry blaze. The applause was accompanied by laughter but also recognition for the man who worked behind the scenes....