P. Sarojini’
Kolkata, India (CWBN)_ Legendry Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee passed away on Sunday. He suffered complications related to Covid-19, which resulted in his death. The iconic actor, 85, was best known for his work with Oscar-winning director Satyajit Ray. A statement issued by the hospital where he was undergoing treatment confirmed the actor’s death on Sunday. “We declare with heavy heart that Shri Soumitra Chattopadhyay breathed his last at 12.15 pm at Belle Vue Clinic today (15 November 2020). We pay our homage to his soul,” the statement said.
Chatterjee was hospitalized on October 6 after testing positive for the novel coronavirus. Although he battled the virus and recovered after few weeks, the actor developed post-Covid-19 complications which included neurological issues. The actor breathed his last on Sunday morning following a month-long battle; the actor was placed on a ventilator for the last few weeks.
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the actor’s family in hospital following his death. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his condolences on social media, tweeting that the actor’s death was a colossal loss to the world of cinema and cultural life of India. Prominent Indian personalities such as Amitabh Bachchan, Mamata Banerjee, Sourav Ganguly, Hemant Soren, Rahul Gandhi, Sharmila Tagore, etc., also paid tribute to the actor on social media.
Chatterjee’s famous collaboration with Satyajit Ray resulted in 14 films. The actor made his debut in Ray’s 1959 film Apur Sansar (the third part of the acclaimed Pather Panchali trilogy). The two legends worked together on movies such as Charulata, Devi, Teen Kanya, Ghare Baira, Ganashatru etc. The actor was appreciated for his character ‘Fleuda’, the famous detective created by Satyajit Ray. Chatterjee was last seen in 2019 film Sanjhbati.
The actor received numerous honours and awards for his contribution to Indian cinema during his 60 year career. Those include the Padma Bhushan, Sangeet Natak Akademi Tagore Ratna, Dadasaheb Phalke Award and three national awards. The French government honoured the actor with ‘the Legion of Honor’ (the nation’s top civilian award) in 2018.
Edited by Kaveesha Fernando
