British filmmaker Anthony Minghella, who directed the upcoming two-hour HBO pilot "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" starring Jill Scott and Anika Noni Rose, died in a London hospital on Tuesday after a short illness, reports the AP. He was 54.

"Much more than a TRUE artist who thrilled in offering his divine gift with the world, Anthony Minghella was a dear, dear trusted friend," said Scott in a statement. "My heart aches with grief. Words can not express how deeply he will be missed or how deeply he was loved."      

Minghella, an Oscar winner for "The English Patient," died from complications following surgery last week for cancer of the tonsils and neck, agent Leslee Dart said.

"The surgery had gone well and they were very optimistic," she said. "But he developed a hemorrhage last night and they were not able to stop it."

Anthony Minghella

Based on the best selling series of books, "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" follows Botswanan private eye Precious Ramotswe, played by Scott in the 13-part series adapted for television.        

Jeff Ramsay, press secretary to Botswanan President Festus Mogae, said the director had been coming to the country ahead of the film and learning about Botswana. He said Minghella had told him how he had been forced to shoot his 2003 civil war-set film "Cold Mountain" in Romania and that it had "seemed wrong." He said this made the director "more sure that the film could only be shot in Botswana."      

The son of an ice-cream maker, Minghella was married to Carolyn Choa and had two grown-up children, Max and Hannah.