Legendary Bengali Actor Santu Mukhopadhyay Passes Away at 69

Veteran Bengali actor Santu Mukhopadhyay who was known for his works in films such as Sansar Simante and Bhalobasa Bhalobasa died at his south Kolkata residence on Wednesday evening after prolonged ailments. Santu Mukhopadhyay, who was 69, died of cardiac arrest at 7:30 pm. He had been suffering from carcinoma for long and was admitted to a hospital on February 4 with blood sugar and hypertension. He was discharged in the last week of February and taken home.

A favourite of directors like Tapan Sinha, Tarun Majumder and Goutam Ghosh, Santu Mukhopadhyay is survived by his wife Gopa Mukherjee and daughters, actress Swastika Mukherjee and costume designer Ajopa Mukherjee.

Born in Kolkata in 1951, Santu Mukhopadhyay became a popular name when he was in early 20s with films like Sansar Simante and Raja by Tarun Majumder and Tapan Sinha, respectively. He soon became a known face on big screen with films like Ganadevata and Byapika Biday. His other memorable works spanning a period of over four decades includes Bhalobasa Bhalobasa, Hemanter Pakhi, Dadamoni and Baikunther Will.

Santu Mukhopadhyay was also a familiar face on the small screen. He worked in shows like Isthi Kutum, Jol Nupur and Andarmahal. He continued to work despite his deteriorating health. West Bengal minister Aroop Biswas visited the residence of Santu Mukhopadhyay and offered his condolences to the grieving family members. Director Kaushik Ganguly, in whose movie Brake Fail Santu Mukhopadhyay had played a key role, said: “It is a personal loss for me.”

May his soul rest in peace!

(With inputs from PTI)