Actor Soumitra Chatterjee passes away

Actor Soumitra Chatterjee passed away in Kolkata following COVID-19 complications. He was 85.

An official statement from the hospital read, “We declare with heavy heart that Shri Soumitra Chattopadhyay breathed his last at 12:15 pm at Belle Vue Clinic today. We pay our homage to his soul.”

Soumitra was admitted to a private hospital in Kolkata on October 6 after testing positive for COVID-19. He later tested negative for the infection but COVID- 19 encephalopathy set in and various other complications followed.

Soumitra Chatterjee first rose to fame playing Apu in Satyajit Ray’s Apur Sansar. This was his debut film and he went on to work with the famed director in Charulata, Sonar Kella, Aranyer Din Ratri, Devi, Teen Kanya, Abhijan, Kapurush, Ashani Sanket, Joi Baba Felunath, Hirak Rajar Deshe, Ghare Baire, Ganashatru and Shakha Proshakha. He also worked with several other renowned directors including Tapan Sinha and Mrinal Sen. Some of his other acclaimed Bengali films are Teen Bhubaner Parey, Aparachita, Koni, Saat Pake Bandha, Akash Kusum, Aatanko, Wheelchair, Atanka and Jhinder Bandi.

Soumitra was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award at the 59th National Film Awards. He was also bestowed the Padma Bhushan in 2004 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1998.

Soumitra won three National Film Awards for Antardhan (1991), Dekha (2000) and Podokkhep (2007). The French government honoured the actor with the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and Legion of Honour.

In a career spanning six decades, Soumitra Chatterjee worked in over 200 films along with doing television shows and plays. He was last seen in the movie Sanjhbati.

Source: Indian Express