Veteran actor and Dadasaheb Phalke award recipient Soumitra Chatterjee passed away at a Kolkata Nursing home today. He was 85. The actor had been hospitalised on October 6, 2020, after being tested Covid positive.
However, he was declared Covid negative later. But he succumbed to other ailments, the hospital sources say. He has been active on big and small screens almost till the date he fell sick.
President Ram Nath Kovind has expressed grief over the death of Soumitra Chatterjee. He said, Indian cinema has lost one of its legends. In a series of tweets, Mr Kovind said, he will be especially remembered for the ‘Apu’ trilogy and other memorable performances in Satyajit Ray’s masterpieces. He made immense contributions to the craft of acting.
The President said, Soumitra Chatterjee’s performances won him several national and international awards including Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Padma Bhushan and Légion d’Honneur.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also expressed grief over the demise of Veteran actor Soumitra Chatterjee.
In a tweet, Mr Modi said, Soumitra Chatterjee’s death is a colossal loss to the world of cinema, cultural life of West Bengal and India. He said, through his works, he came to embody Bengali sensibilities, emotions and ethos.